Waves of Salvation
by Luxio Nyx
Summary: Pirate captain Antonio believes he's invincible and bound for hell until he meets Lovino, his last chance at salvation... and the only one who can take him down. Companion fic to Tides of Betrayal- might want to read that first. Spamano with hints of USUK and GerIta
1. Chapter 1

Prologue:

Antonio ducked past the layers of drying clothing that lined the top of the alleyway, his heart pounding until the sound of blood pulsing through his body drowned out nearly all of the sounds around him.

Almost all of them.

"There!"

"I see him!"

"_Mierda_ (**shit**)," Antonio gasped breathlessly, his arms flailing in an attempt to wave away the shocked and confused observers that were in danger of being trampled. One particularly unfortunate woman gave a surprisingly-masculine yelp when Antonio shoved past her, the bread in her arms spilling onto the dusty road beneath her feet.

"_Lo siento!_ (**Sorry**)" Antonio called over his shoulder, a sigh of relief breaking through his lips when he turned down another alley, momentarily losing sight of the authorities that were out for his blood.

_I won't lose them for long, though... Dios, why did I even listen to Alvarez?_

The teenager faltered for a precious second, his emerald eyes locked on a door that had suddenly opened just a few feet away. The Spaniard hesitated, his gaze flickering over his shoulder for a brief moment to make sure that the authorities hadn't found him yet before he ducked through the door, his feet catching on something surprisingly soft before he tumbled to the floor.

Antonio yelped and scrambled for the still-open door, the heels of his boots catching once again on the soft thing that now seemed to be hissing at him. The Spaniard kicked blindly at the soft thing as he slammed the door shut, earning himself a high yelp. Antonio winced at the sound and turned to look at the object that had tripped him, his cheeks still flushed from his recent run.

A small cat with dark auburn fur and a curious curl on the left side of its head glared- could cats glare?- at him, its tail twitching irritably as it continued to hiss at the intruder into its home, its tiny paw raised threateningly to display miniscule claws.

Antonio stared at the animal for a minute, his mouth twitching as if it was unsure whether or not its owner should smile. Finally, though, the smile won out and the Spaniard gathered the furious cat into his arms, barely heeding the needle-sharp claws that were now digging into his skin.

"Aww~ _pobrecito_ (**Poor little thing**)," he cooed. "Did I step on you? _Lo siento, querido_ (**I'm sorry, dear**)."

The cat continued to glare at him, although Antonio couldn't help but notice that its tail was now swishing from side to side in a half-pleased way. Antonio grinned and scratched gently behind the creature's ears until it began to purr, a low chuckle breaking through his lips as the cat nuzzled with seeming reluctance against his fingertips.

"Forgive me, kitty, but I think that I'll have to stay here with you for a little longer," the Spaniard cooed. "Is that alright with you?"

The kitten purred again, not quite able to drown out the small whimper that escaped from a darkened corner of the room.

Antonio's head shot up, his green eyes widening when he caught sight of a small child huddled in the corner, its auburn hair mostly-covered by a white kerchief, its tiny, trembling body clothed in a pink dress. A curl nearly identical to the one of the cat's head escaped from beneath the child's handkerchief, and when Antonio looked closely, he realized that the frightened and angry amber eyes that were boring into him from the child's round face were almost the exact shade as the cat's bright golden orbs.

"_Hola_!" Antonio greeted cheerfully. "What is your name, little girl?"

The child stopped trembling to glare at him indignantly, its cheeks now flushed a spectacular red that somehow reminded Antonio of tomatoes.

"I'm a fucking boy, bastard," the boy spat. "A-and there's no way in hell I'm telling you my name- Chigi!" he added as the Spaniard moved to get up, his eyes widening as he pressed his back against the wall. "S-stay where you are! M-my father was in the army, a-and my _nonno_ (**grandfather**) told me how kill someone!"

Antonio raised his eyebrows and gently released the kitten in his arms to raise his hands in surrender, his lips twisting upwards into an amused grin.

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "I'm staying here." He glanced at the boy's red cheeks again and his smile widened. "Since you won't tell me your name, can I call you '_Tomatito'_?"

The boy stared at him incredulously, his already-red cheeks deepening to a bright scarlet. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because your cheeks are so red, like a tomato~!"

"I- You- Are you fucking stupid or something?" the boy spluttered.

Antonio pouted. "That's not very nice, _Tomatito~_."

"_Stop fucking calling me that!_"

"You swear a lot for someone so young, _Tomatito_."

"Why the fuck do you care? I and told you-"

"Are you here alone, _Tomatito_? That's not very good for someone your age."

"You don't even know how old I am, bastard! I could... I could be fucking _60_ for all you know!"

"Somehow I doubt that, _Tomatito_. You're too cute to be 60~!"

The boy rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips twitching as if he wanted to smile. "...I'm not going to tell you my name, bastard."

"That's okay~! I like _Tomatito_. Do you want to know my name?"

"Fuck no."

"Do you want to know how old I am?"

"No."

"Do you want to know where I'm from?"

"No."

"...Do you want to know what I'm doing here?"

The boy didn't answer, although Antonio noticed that his expression was now tinged with curiosity.

The Spaniard smiled slightly, the cheerful expression tinged with a hint of some sadness that he hoped the boy couldn't identify.

"_Mi hermano_ (**my brother**) asked me to do something for him," Antonio admitted quietly. "He forgot to mention that it would involve breaking a few laws..."

"What did you do?" the boy blurted out. He blushed again and glared down at the floor. "...Not that I care or anything..."

Antonio smiled again, only to sober as he thought about had to answer the boy's question.

"...I stole something."

The boy raised his eyebrows, not quite as scandalized as Antonio had thought that he would be. "What?"

The Spaniard sighed and reached into his shirt, his fingers curling around the warm golden chain that had been stinging his skin since he took it from the fat nobleman in the town square. He gently detached the object from the folds of his shirt, his eyes tightening in shame when he saw the boy gape in awe at the ornate solid gold crucifix encrusted with pearls and rubies that hung from the thick gold chain.

"...Oh."

"_Si_," Antonio sighed. "...Do you believe in God, _Tomatito_?"

"_Si,_" the boy replied without hesitation, making the older boy smile.

"...Do you think that I'm going to hell?" Antonio whispered.

The boy paused for a brief moment, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Did you kill anyone?"

Antonio blinked in surprise. "No."

"Did you want to steal?"

"I- No. _Mi hermano_..."

"Don't listen to that bastard," the boy said suddenly. "_Dio_ knows I don't listen to _mio fratello_ (**my brother**)."

Antonio smiled despite himself. "You have a brother?"

The boy paused and frowned before nodding, seeming furious with himself for giving away this piece of information. "My twin. I'm older, though," he added, as if this was important.

Antonio nodded. "Yes, you seem older."

The boy smirked proudly, only to become serious moments later. "Anyways, if you didn't kill anyone, and you only stole because you wanted to help someone that you loved, I don't think you're going to hell. You're too much of a bastard to end up there, anyways."

The Spaniard laughed and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair, his smile widening when the boy waited about two seconds before pulling away.

"_Gracias, mi amigo_ (**Thank you, my friend**)," he said sincerely. He paused and pressed his ear against the door, his brow furrowing as he listened for any sign of the authorities. "Ah, I think that I can leave now, _Tomatito_... Thank you very much for not killing me."

The boy scoffed, although his amber eyes were dark as he watched Antonio pull himself to his feet.

"...Will you come back?" he mumbled.

Antonio paused and glanced curiously at the boy. "...I don't think so, _Tomatito_."

"Why not?" the boy pressed, his lips thinning into a stubborn pout.

Antonio chuckled. "I don't know you, _Tomatito_, your parents wouldn't let me in the house... Besides, _mi hermano_ told me that we'll have to leave this town soon... They'll be looking for this..." He glanced at the cross that still hung from his fingers and hastily shoved the pendant back into his shirt.

The boy's pout became more pronounced and he glared down at his feet, his blush deepening as something occurred to him.

"...Wait here," the boy commanded, his small feet already carrying him out of the room.

Antonio did as he was told, his green eyes meeting the calm gaze of the cat at his feet for a brief moment in a questioning glance. The cat simply began to lick one of its paws, apparently forgetting the Spaniard's presence for the moment.

The boy returned several seconds later, his small hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Here," he said shortly, his fingers unfolding to reveal a plain wooden cross attached to a chain of black beads. "I-it's for praying. You know, in case you do something stupid again..."

Antonio stared blankly at the gift, his tanned hands reaching out of their own accord to pluck the object from the boy's trembling hands.

"...Thank you," the Spaniard murmured.

The boy snorted and glared down at his feet. "J-just... don't forget about me, okay?"

Antonio smiled and crossed the room, his arms wrapping around the small boy in the briefest of hugs. "I'll always remember you, _Tomatito~_!"

The boy smiled slightly, his red cheeks paling in alarm when another door opened in the back of the house.

"Lovino? Ve~ _fratello!_ We're home, _fratello_!"

"Lovino! Did you break something again?"

"Go!" the boy hissed, already shoving Antonio towards the door. He watched as the Spaniard ran into the now-deserted streets, his amber eyes meeting green one last time before the door was slammed shut once again...

Antonio Fernandez Carriedo sat bolt upright in bed, his green eyes wide beneath his tousled dark-brown hair.

"What the hell?" he murmured to himself. _Why did I dream about that now?_

Almost as an afterthought, the Spaniard raised a hand to the chain of black beads that were hung reverently over his bed, his fingers brushing gently against the plain cross the hung from the chain and swayed with every wave.

_Tomatito... Am I going to hell now?_

Antonio sighed and pulled himself out of bed, his feet slipping easily into the black leather boots that had been shoved beneath the bed, his arms slipping automatically into the white shirt that had been thrown carelessly onto the floor several feet away. The Spaniard paused as his gaze focused on a bright scarlet coat edged with gold, his eyes flickering briefly to the large red hat that rested atop the ornate garment.

"Carriedo! Dammit, get your ass out here!" Bella D'Anjou, Antonio's second-in-command, yelled from outside his cabin door.

The Spaniard sighed and abandoned the coat as he made his way to the door, not entirely surprised when his fingers gently plucked the black beads from their perch on his wall on the way.

"What is it?" he asked calmly when he met Bella's light green eyes, his brow furrowing as he caught sight of the worried expression beneath her thick honey-blonde hair.

"We just fished some kid out of the ocean," the Belgian woman explained shortly. "I think you should take a look before we decide what to do with him."

Captain Carriedo nodded and made his way towards the middle of his ship, his eyes focusing immediately on the limp, soggy lump that was now surrounded by several members of his crew, his hand tightening reflexively around the beads that were now wound around his belt.

_Am I going to hell?_

**Hi! So~ this is the sort-of-sequel to _Tides of Betrayal_ that shows the Spamano side of things... Anyways this didn't take me that long to write so hopefully it isn't that bad! Also, I have a few notes:**

** 1- Alvarez (or, Antonio's older brother) is Portugal. He'll be showing up a bit later in this story.**

** 2- For those of you that aren't Catholic or aren't familiar with Catholicism, Lovino gave Antonio a rosary. And... yeah, basically you use the beads to count the number of prayers that you say. /shrug/**

** 3- I'm just going to explain now so I don't have to later:**

** Bella- Belgium**

** Lars (yeah, he's here, too)- the Netherlands**

** Carlos (you'll meet him later)- Peru**

** Isabella- Argentina**

** Carmen- Mexico**

** Felipe- Puerto Rico**

**Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes that I make in languages, and for Bella's last name, since I don't actually know what Belgium's name is...**

**If anyone has any ideas for the last names of the other members of Antonio's crew, lemme hear 'em! And don't forget to tell me what you think, okay? Love you guys~!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

_Lovino Vargas glared up at his grandfather, his frown deepening when he realized- not for the first time- how damn tall the old man was._

_ Roma Vargas smiled down at his grandson and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair in a rare gesture of affection, his smile tightening slightly as the small movement sent a flash of pain through his injured shoulder._

_ "Why are you so upset, il mio nipotino (__**my little grandson**__)?" he cooed._

_ "...Why the he- why are you always getting hurt?" Lovino snapped, his cheeks reddening slightly at the curse that he had almost allowed to slip through his lips. Grandpa Roma always hated it when he swore..._

_ Roma grimaced again and glanced down at the plain white shirt that hid most of his bruises and scars from view, his bright amber eyes- so similar to Lovino's- darkening in an old resignation._

_ "...Lovino, you know that I love you."_

_ The younger Italian blinked and nodded hesitantly, his eyes flickering unwillingly to where his twin brother was sleeping peacefully on his pallet. Roma followed the child's gaze and sighed, his hand moving down to gently clasp Lovino's shoulder._

_ "I know I don't show it often, but I love you as much as I love Feli," he insisted quietly. "And... because I love you both very much, sometimes I have to do things that aren't very... nice."_

_ "Why do you have to do those things if they aren't good?" Lovino asked, his brow furrowing once again in confusion._

_ Roma sighed and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his grandson's forehead, his eyes tightening when someone knocked on their front door and yelled for Roma._

_ "Love is precious, Lovino," he whispered. "But... it always comes at a price. And many times, that price is almost higher than what you are willing to pay."_

"..._T__í__a_ (**Aunt**)?.. Hey, _T__ía_?... He's not waking up..."

"Please be patient, _cari__ñ__o_ (**sweetie**)... Carlos, do you have any ideas?"

"Several, but I'm not sure if they will wor- Ah, Felipe, where did you get that sword?"

"Um... _No me acuerdo_ (**I don't remember**)~"

"_Wat krijgen we nou_? (**What the hell?**) Why the fuck to you have my sword, you damn rat?"

"Oh! _Hola Tio_ (**Hi Uncle**)! When did you get here?"

"_What did I tell you about calling me that?_ I'm not your damn Uncle!"

_Dio (__**God**__), these fucktards are worse than Feliciano... Wait, where the hell-?_

_ Captain Bonnefoy leered at him out of the darkness, making Lovino's legs tremble with the useless urge to run. The Frenchman seemed to sense this, his smile widening smugly at the sight of the young man's discomfort._

_ "You understand now, oui?" he purred. "The only way for you and your dear brother to get off of this ship alive..."_

_ "...Is to make sure Captain Carriedo doesn't," the Italian finished numbly. "I understand."_

_ "Good. Have a nice nap~."_

Lovino heard himself groan, his heart nearly stopping in his chest when the small movement triggered a small flash of pain on his abdomen. Fuck, had that French bastard-?

The Italian forced his eyes open, another small groan breaking through his lips when sunlight slammed mercilessly into his eyes and temporarily blinded him. He blinked furiously and turned his head to the side, his eyes widening as a boy with wide green eyes and a tanned, curious face came into view, his small light-brown hands wrapped carefully around the hilt of- _What the fuck was this capretto (__**kid**__) doing with a sword?!_

Lovino swore and pushed himself away from the child, only to freeze when he bumped into a set of legs. He glanced warily over his shoulder and cursed when he found himself looking up at a tall man with dark eyes and even darker hair. The man frowned slightly and leaned down to study the Italian, his wide, work-roughened hands braced on his hips as he studied Lovino.

"Huh," he mused quietly. "I thought you would look more like Isa... _Lo extra__ñ__o_ (**how odd**)."

Lovino felt his cheeks redden and opened his mouth to tell this bastard where to stuff it when several other voices drifted towards him, immediately drawing his attention to the dark-haired woman that had left the small group gathered around Lovino to talk quietly with another woman with thick, honey-blonde hair and a man with curly brown hair and emerald green eyes that flashed with authority even as they sparkled with a hidden warmth.

_The teenager grinned ruefully, his green eyes glittering with amusement, his tanned hands still raised in surrender._

_ "Can I call you Tomatito?"_

Oh God...

The man turned away from the two women to eye the group around Lovino, his green eyes resting for the briefest of moments on the Italian. Lovino's breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding as he wondered if the man would recognize him now, would remember-

Lovino yelped as the man suddenly appeared in front of him, his amber eyes searching green with a hesitant hope. The man merely raised his eyebrows and glanced up at the child that was still holding onto that damned sword, his lips quirking up into a small half-smile at the sight.

"Are you going to defend us against this stranger, Felipe?" he chuckled.

The child, Felipe, grinned and nodded enthusiastically, his grin turning into a pout when the sword was snatched roughly from his hands by a fierce-looking man with oddly-spiked blond hair and- why the hell did he have a scarf in this fucking heat?

The blond man huffed and carefully slid the sword into the scabbard at his side, his cold sea green eyes skipping over Lovino with disdain.

"...Why the hell do you encourage this kid, Carriedo?" he grumbled. "He's going to get one of us killed one of these days."

The man with curly dark hair- Carriedo? Fuck, _this_ was the bastard he was supposed to kill?- chuckled again and straightened up so that he towered over Lovino, his emerald eyes never leaving the Italian's searching amber orbs.

"Be nice, Lars~" he scolded cheerfully. "Felipe just wants to help!"

Lars's frown deepened and he opened his mouth to argue, only to shut it moments later when the blonde woman that had arrived with Carriedo made a shushing motion with her hand.

Carriedo chuckled at the exchange before turning back to Lovino, his green eyes narrowing thoughtfully beneath his rumpled dark hair. Lovino held back a shiver at the cold look in those familiar emeralds and forced himself to meet the Spaniard's gaze with a stubborn glare, his hands curling into shaky fists at his sides.

"So," Carriedo purred, instantly grabbing the attention of the strangers gathered around him. "Any particular reason why we happened to catch an Italian today? I could have sworn there were only the usual species of fish in these waters."

Lovino's eyes narrowed at being called a fish, his jaw nearly cracking with the strain of keeping his mouth shut. Carriedo smirked and glanced over his shoulder as someone else joined the group, his lips curving upwards into an automatic smile as a teenager with long dark hair and blue-green eyes that practically glowed against her tanned skin stomped to his side, her expression alternating between anxiety and anger as she looked down at Lovino.

"_¿__Quien demonios es esto?_ (**Who the hell is this?**)" she demanded.

"_Hola_ Carmen~" Carriedo sang cheerfully. "How are you today, _querida_?"

_"Did I step on you?" the teen whispered to Lovino's furious cat, oblivious to the shivering Italian in the corner. The green-eyed teen smiled sadly and reached out to gently stroke the cat's head. "Lo siento, querido."_

Lovino shook his head to rid himself of those damn memories, his eyes widening slightly when the motion caught the attention of the two people closest to him.

Antonio leaned closer to the Italian, his smile shifting into something more sinister. "Is something wrong little boy?"

_Fuck... I think I liked it better when he thought I was a damn girl...If this psycho even __is__ the same person... not that I give a shit...I have to kill him either way..._

"No," Lovino snapped as the Spaniard continued to watch him.

Carmen leaned forward as well, her fisted hands planted firmly on her hips as she glared down at Lovino over Carriedo's shoulder. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

_I'm here to kill the bastard in front of you..._ "I... I don't know."

That made them pause. Carmen and Carriedo exchanged looks as the other dark-haired woman came closer as well. The new woman crouched down until she was eye-level with Lovino, her light blue eyes watching him with an unexpected kindness.

"Why don't you know?" she asked him gently.

Lovino shifted uneasily and glared down at the filthy floorboards beneath his legs. "I don't remember... I-It's all a blur." That was true, at least. The past few months were really just a blur to Lovino now... a never-ending blur of pain at losing his grandfather, of fear at losing Feliciano, of frustration at not being able to do anything until the French bastard had offered him an escape.

"What do you remember?" the woman pressed softly.

_My life before this hell, my grandfather smiling at me and getting hurt, the price of love..._ "My name."

The woman's smile grew and she nodded for Lovino to continue. The Italian hesitated and glanced over her shoulder at the others that were watching him, his gaze lingering a little longer on Carriedo. Was it his imagination, or had the bastard's gaze become a little more intense... a little more like he remembered? _It's not him, dammit!_

Lovino took a deep breath and forced his gaze away from the Spaniard, his chin lifting defiantly into the air as he met the woman's kind blue eyes.

"My name is Lovino," he said stiffly. "Lovino Vargas."

Everything was silent for a moment. And then it was broken.

"_Dios mio_ (**My God**)," Carriedo whispered.

**Woo! Chapter 1 is up! Muahahaha! So, I'm hoping to get another chapter of Stolen Lullabies up before I go back to the states on Saturday (I miss home hahahah... And hugs. I really miss hugs.) And... Yeah. Again, my apologies if any of the Spanish is incorrect. Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Antonio leaned against the spokes of the ship's wheel, not even bothering to pretend that he was steering the galleon as he stared down at the angry Italian that was now being led around the deck by Bella and Felipe. He frowned when Felipe tugged on Lovino's shirt-sleeve, causing the Italian to jump and glare at the giggling child.

_How did I not recognize him?_

Lovino had changed, of course. The shivering, angry young child that had cursed him out and given him hope had grown into an incredibly attractive young man- although Antonio had to admit that the anger was still there. The bright amber eyes that had glared up at the Spaniard with surprising innocence had hardened and dulled with age and pain, the slim hands that had once pressed a simple rosary into Antonio's hands were now roughened and calloused from work.

"Lars is going to kill you if you get us lost just because you were too busy drooling over some damn Italian."

Antonio blinked and glanced at the young girl that had come to stand beside him, her thin arms crossed irritably over her loose white shirt.

"You really hate wearing dresses, don't you _querida_?" Antonio mused.

Carmen raised her eyebrows, her full lips curling into a small smirk. "_S__í__._ I have no idea why Isabella still wears that damn skirt." She paused for a moment and shot the Spaniard a half-hearted glare. "Don't change the subject."

"I can only hear about Lars killing me so many times before it gets old, Carmen."

"This isn't about Lars, _hermano _(**brother**), and you know it," Carmen snapped. "How the hell do you know that Italian?"

Antonio turned away, his green eyes focusing once again on the Italian as his hand drifted down to the rosary at his belt. "...We've met before."

"_Cuando? Donde?_ (**When? Where?**)" the Mexican girl pressed.

"Why do you want to know?" Antonio snapped. He winced at the hurt look that the teen sent his way and glanced out towards the horizon, his fingers tightening around the spokes of the wheel as he gently adjusted the ship's course. "_Lo siento_ (**I'm sorry**), I didn't mean-"

"I just want to know why you trust him," Carmen hissed. "You would have thrown anyone else into the ocean without a second thought, and then have them shot for good measure. You were about to do the same to this _Lovino_, too, before he looked up at you with those _ojos preciosos_ (**precious eyes**)-"

"_Carmen_," Antonio hissed, his fingers tightening around the wheel until his knuckles turned white.

The Mexican girl fell silent and glanced warily at the Spaniard, waiting for him to continue. Antonio sighed and ran a hand through his thick brown hair. He beamed when he caught sight of Lars walking towards them, the usual scowl etched into the Dutch man's features. Lars paused for a moment, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his spiked blond hair at the sight of the Spaniard's grin.

"What?" he demanded suspiciously. His frown deepened. "What the hell- Did you get us lost again?"

"That was one time, _amigo_! Were you coming here to take over on the wheel~?"

Lars rolled his eyes and nodded, his firm hands shoving Antonio's away with a surprising gentleness. "_Wat dan ook_ (**Whatever**). By the way, if that damn Italian touches my sister, I'll castrate him- _and_ you since you wouldn't let us kill him."

Antonio frowned and tugged irritably at his hair once more. "Why the hell are you all so against him?"

"Because we don't _know_ him," Carmen broke in angrily. "And apparently neither do you, since you didn't even _recognize_ him-"

"He's changed since the last time I saw him!"

"And when exactly was that?" Lars muttered.

Antonio's face reddened and he turned away, seeking out the sight of the cause of their argument.

"...A while ago," he admitted. "We met when I was still living in Italy with-" The Spaniard broke off and closed his eyes, unable to continue.

There was a moment of silence as Lars and Carmen exchanged looks behind Antonio's back.

"How do you know that this Ital- _Lovino_ isn't different now, Carriedo?" Lars asked gruffly. "In case you've forgotten, you have a bounty on your head in practically every nation on earth."

"Lovino wouldn't-"

"I've seen nicer people do worse for less money," Carmen snapped. She sighed heavily when she caught sight of the stricken expression on Antonio's face and shook her head. "We just... don't want you to get yourself killed, Antonio. If you go down-"

"-You all go down with me," Antonio finished wearily. He fell silent and returned his attention to the deck below them, his eyes trailing across the salt-encrusted boards that Carlos was struggling to clean until they reached Lovino. The Italian seemed to be engaged in a tug-of-war with Felipe over his own shirt-sleeve while Bella and Isabella struggled unsuccessfully not to laugh.

The Spaniard hung his head and took a deep breath, locks of his chocolate-brown hair sticking to his sweat-streaked forehead.

"...Just give me a week," he whispered. "If I- if I find out that he's changed, I'll let you do as you please but..." Antonio raised his head and glanced over his shoulder at his two crew members, his eyes flashing with fierce determination. "If he hasn't changed, if I find out that he is worthy of my trust, I won't let anyone touch him. Anyone who does will taste my blade, _entendeis?_ (**Understand**?)"

Lars raised his eyebrows and shrugged before turning back to the wheel. Carmen frowned but nodded, her green-blue eyes flickering down to the Italian that had captured her captain's attention.

"...I hope he's worth it, _hermano_," she whispered.

"_Yo tambi__é__n _(**Me too**)..."

**Hey guys! So, I'm sorry that this is so short, but I had some serious writer's block on this. Anyways, I decided to get this done now before school really kicks off. I'll start working in about a week, and my schedule should get pretty full but I swear I'll try my hardest to get an update in at least once a week, more than likely on Sundays.**

**I also have one thing that I would like to say here...**

**I don't know if anyone remembers, but several months ago I asked if my readers could pray for my speech coach's wife, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, I recently learned that she passed away on Saturday. It would really mean a lot to me if you guys could pray or think for my speech coach's family. I won't ask for any reviews for this chapter... It's sort of dedicated to her, I guess. I would just really appreciate it if you all would remember my speech coach and his family.**

**Thank you all very much, and I hope that the school year is starting out awesomely so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Lovino was seriously considering murder- Ten Commandments be damned, this kid was just way to fucking annoying for his own good.

"But you need to see it!"

"I don't want to see it, you da-"

"Language, niño (**boy**)," Isabella reminded him sweetly.

Lovino resisted the urge to roll his eyes and shot the two women that were watching them a wry smile. "Mi dispiace, bellas (**I'm sorry, beautifuls**)," he murmured silkily.

Bella rolled her eyes, her lips twitching into something that could almost be considered a smile.

"Cute," she shot back. "Don't expect your mooie taal (**beautiful language**) to get you very far here, Italiaans (**Italian**)."

"Lovino~ did you just speak Italian? _Que mono, querido!_ (**How cute, dear!**)" Captain Carriedo's voice cooed from directly behind Lovino.

The Italian yelped and whirled around, barely noticing the excited squeal that burst from Felipe's lips as he launched himself at the Spaniard.

"_Hermano!_" he yelled, his high-pitched voice slamming into Lovino's unsuspecting eardrums with enough force to make the teen wince and curse under his breath. "What are you doing here? Did you come to see Lovino? He's really funny! He keeps saying weird words that I don't understand under his breath when he thinks I can't hear him!"

"_Merda_ (**Shit**)," Lovino hissed, his eyes widening fearfully when he caught sight of the glare that Isabella was sending his way. Dammit, he didn't think that the kid could _hear_ him...

The Spaniard merely chuckled and ruffled Felipe's hair, his bright green eyes never leaving Lovino's bright red face.

"Actually, _ni__ñ__o_, I was going to ask Lovinito if he would let me speak with him... alone," Carriedo added when Bella and Isa inched towards him.

Isa raised her eyebrows and allowed the captain to press a pouting Felipe into her arms. Bella simply frowned and defiantly crossed her arms in front of her chest, her sea-green eyes drifting warily to the blond Dutchman that was watching the exchange from the helm. Lars bowed his head in a small nod before returning his attention to the sea, causing his sister's frown to deepen.

"Fine," the Belgian woman murmured. "I'll be at the helm, Tonio. Call if you need anything." She fixed Lovino with a final glare before storming away, Isa and Felipe close behind.

Lovino shuddered, his muscles tensing automatically when a warm hand clasped his shoulder. Hot breath ghosted across the back of the Italian's neck, sending an eruption of goosebumps across his skin.

"Ready to talk, _Tomatito_?" Carriedo whispered.

"...I can't believe you're still going to call me that, bastard," Lovino muttered, his cheeks paling in alarm when he realized what had just come out of his mouth. He glanced up at the Spaniard leaning over him, wondering if the ice would return to those warm green eyes and the sword would leave its place at the captain's hip, if he would soon feel cold steel pressed against his skin moments before scalding blood spilled down his throat and choked him-

Carriedo laughed.

Lovino stiffened at the sound of the rich, smooth sound, his eyes widening in silent awe as flashes of the Spaniard's white teeth made an appearance beneath his full, dark pink lips...

_What the hell?! Stop staring at him, dumbass!_

"Silly Lovino," Carriedo whispered. "I promised, didn't I?"

_I'll always remember you_...

_I'll always be here for you, _mio nipote (_**my grandson**__), I promise..._

"Promises don't mean anything, dumbass," Lovino sighed. "What the hell did you want to talk about?"

Carriedo watched him for a long moment, his warm fingers lingering for a moment longer on the Italian's shoulder before he pulled away.

"You will be sleeping with me," he stated.

"I- wait, what? WHAT THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU-"

Carriedo seemed confused for a moment before his eyes widened, his tanned cheeks flushed with the faintest hint of red even as he patted the spluttering Italian on the back.

"Ahaha, _lo siento_ (**I'm sorry**), that came out wrong," he chuckled.

_How the hell could that come out __**right**__?_ "What did you mean to say, bastard?"

"You say bastard a lot... it's not very nice, Tomatito," the Spaniard observed cheerfully.

"I don't _need_ to be-"

"You do, actually," Carriedo mused wickedly, the dark expression in his eyes a sharp contrast to the almost-insane smile that had spread across his lips.

"What-"

"You're a guest on this ship, Lovi, not a member of it," he pointed out. "No one here would hesitate to kill you if they needed to. They would have killed you the moment you ended up on our deck if Bella hadn't insisted on telling me. In fact, if it wasn't for me, you would be at the bottom of the ocean right now."

"W-what are you trying to tell me, bas- _Captain_?" Lovino hissed.

"You owe me, Lovino Vargas," Carriedo murmured. "Don't forget it."

Lovino swallowed and glared down at his bare, salt-encrusted feet, his clenched fists shaking by his sides. Carriedo's eyes burned into the back of his neck, a sharp contrast to the gentle gaze of the lonely teen who had stepped on Lovino's cat and _noticed_ him.

_Which Spanish bastard is the real one?_

"So, about what I was trying to tell you before, Lovi," Carriedo broke in, his voice abruptly, sickeningly cheerful. "You won't be sleeping below decks with the rest of the crew. You will be sleeping in my cabin with me." The captain paused for a moment and flashed the Italian another bright smile. "In another bed, of course. There's no point in giving myself even more temptation. After all..." The Spaniard's eyes flickered away from Lovino's and focused on something that the Italian couldn't see, a bitter-sweet smile twisting his lips. "I don't want to go to hell."

Lovino choked and whirled away, his feet carrying him away from the Spaniard as fast as he possibly could. He stopped when he reached the ship's railing, his olive fingers curling tightly around the smooth wood. He bowed his head and forced his eyes to close against the harsh sunlight, his muscles trembling with the memory of warm hands and icy eyes...

For the first time since meeting the Spaniard, Lovino began to wonder if he had been wrong about Captain Carriedo...

_Am I going to hell, Tomatito?_

_Maybe you're already there..._

**Yeah, I know that this is incredibly short. I'm so sorry for the delay here. I swear I'm going to try harder, I'm just trying to get over some serious writer's block right now. Anyways, thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/favorited this story. You guys can't possibly imagine how happy every review makes me. Thank you so much, and please tell me what you think, okay? :) Love you guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

"Really, Lovi, is that the best you can do?"

Lovino took a deep breath, trying to control the anger that was now coursing through his blood. He glared over his shoulder at the Spaniard, his fury mounting when he caught sight of the genuinely-confused expression in the older man's emerald eyes.

"Oh, _forgive me_ for not being a better maid, _Captain_," he hissed.

"Of course I forgive you, Lovi~!" Antonio chirped, his lips curving into a bright smile as the Italian's face turned an impressive shade of red.

Lovino forced himself not to roll his eyes and turned back to the small patch of deck that he was currently attempting to scrub. He paused for a moment to rub his fist against one of his aching eyes, silently cursing Carriedo for his sleepless night. _Damn_ that tomato bastard for making them share the same room...

It wasn't as if the captain's cabin wasn't comfortable, of course. The thick cabin walls and warm, dry blankets were an undeniable improvement to his cell on the wine bastard's ship. Carriedo had even given Lovino a new set of clothes and created a private area for the Italian out of a large red curtain. It was the best Lovino had been treated in months.

_So why the hell couldn't I sleep, dammit?_

If he was completely honest with himself, Lovino knew why he hadn't been able to sleep. Despite the warm blankets and the privacy that had been denied to him for most of his life, the Italian's mind refused to relax like his exhausted muscles begged it to. Images continued to flash behind his closed eyelids well into the night, images of a frightened teen with a timid smile and warm green eyes mixed with pictures of an icy gaze and cold smiles. Echoes of merciless laughter filled Lovino's ears, following him into the depths of his tormented dreams.

"Lovi, _por favor_, if you're going to be this bad I might as well do the cleaning myself," Carriedo sighed, his silky voice breaking effortlessly through the Italian's exhausted thoughts.

Lovino stiffened and glared at the Spaniard. "I _told_ you I'm not used to this!" he snapped.

Antonio frowned, apparently confused by the knowledge. "But... you were in a maid outfit when we first met, weren't you?"

"It was just a... okay, it wasn't actually a dress but it was... it was just a really long shirt!"

"Are you sure? There were an awful lot of frills... And it was pink, _mi tomate_..."

"T-That doesn't mean- Shut the hell up!"

The Spaniard laughed and reached out to ruffle the Italian's hair, his eyebrows rising when the younger man jerked away before the Captain's tanned fingers could even touch his auburn locks. Lovino flinched away from Carriedo's questioning gaze, his blush deepening as he glared half-heartedly at the deck.

"...No one touches my hair, _bastardo_," he whispered. _Not now... not again..._

The captain was silent for a long moment, his green eyes surprisingly serious as he watched the Italian. Lovino ignored the man's gaze and turned back to the deck, his slim hands scrubbing furiously against the salt-encrusted wooden boards.

"How did you get out here, Lovino Vargas?" Antonio asked quietly.

Lovino didn't answer. His amber eyes flickered up for a moment and locked on the Spanish teens that had been watching him for most of the past hour. Carmen's lip curled at the sight of Lovino's gaze, apparently oblivious to the cheerful wave that Felipe gave the moment the Italian looked up.

"Lovino," Antonio pressed. "How did you get here?"

"...It's a really long story," Lovino muttered. He forced himself to keep looking at Carmen and Felipe, to ignore the dark green eyes that he could feel burning into the back of his neck.

"We're in the middle of the ocean," Carriedo pointed out. "I'm pretty sure we have time."

"I- What are _they_ doing here?"

"_Quienes?_ (**Who?**)"

"Carmen and that kid... Felipe. What the hell are they doing in a place like this?"

"Isn't that what I just asked you?" Antonio demanded, slightly exasperated. The Spanish captain huffed irritably when Lovino refused to answer, a small smile flickering across his features when he saw Carmen tense in response. "...I suppose you could say I adopted them."

"_C-Che cazzo?!_ (**What the fuck?!**)"

"_Si!_ (**Yep!**)" Antonio said cheerfully. "I found them in the Caribbean, you see- well, I found Feli in the- Hm? Lovi? Is something wrong?"

"No," Lovino snapped, struggling to hide the tears that sprang into his eyes at the sound of his twin's nickname. "Just... Nothing."

Antonio frowned but continued, his brilliant green eyes watching the Italian carefully from beneath his mussed brown hair.

"Well, anyways, Felipe was the first one that I found in the Caribbean. Some sailors had found him hiding in their hold and were getting ready to lynch the boy when my ship sailed by them. Bella, Lars, Isa, and Carlos had already joined by then- Lars and Bella were my first crew-members, you know. They were with me when I, ah, acquired this ship. Isa and Carlos joined us in South America less than a year later. Isa had just learned that her lover was about to be married to another woman, and _pobre_ (**poor**) Carlos was trying to escape the family business... something about llamas? Well, anyways, they were all there when we first saw Felipe. Isa insisted on stopping to rescue him, so I asked the crew if they would kindly let us take him off their hands... Of course, they didn't really appreciate that since they were part of that damn British navy." The Spaniard's expression darkened, his eyes hardening into chips of green ice at the mention of the British. "Rescuing Felipe became messier than it was supposed to be, but we got him."

"And... Carmen?" Lovino asked carefully, trying not to look at the girl as he spoke.

Antonio's eyes softened as a fond smile curved his bronzed lips. Lovino scowled and turned away, trying to ignore the small flash of jealousy that tore through him at the sight of the smile. _He_ had never been able to make anyone smile like that... Feliciano had, of course, but not Lovino... never Lovino.

"Carmen was a little more difficult," Antonio explained quietly. "She and her brother were originally from Mexico, you know. When their mother died, Carmen was captured by pirates and taken to the Caribbean islands to be sold into slavery. Felipe told us that he had tried to follow her. He begged me to find a way to rescue her, offered to be a slave himself as long as his sister was free. He impressed me..."

Antonio paused then, his eyes flickering towards the Italian that refused to look at him as he remembered what had really made him help the young boy... Remembered the way Felipe's pleading light-green eyes and clenched jaw had brought back memories of another boy with fiery amber eyes and a scarlet blush...

"We followed the ship that had taken Carmen, a galleon captained by an Englishman named Kirkland. His crew was larger than ours, but we faced them anyways. The _bastardo Ingl__é__s_ (**English bastard**) was young, you could tell that he had barely learned to handle his new role as the head of a ship. I'm still not sure why he really wanted Carmen... Regardless, we managed to force them into giving her back in exchange for some gold. I offered to let them off at the next port, give them enough gold to start over and make new lives for themselves, but they refused. They begged me to let them join the crew."

"And you let them," Lovino muttered with grudging respect.

"_S__í_," Antonio agreed. The Spaniard reached for Lovino, his eyes narrowing when the Italian jerked away again. "...Will you tell me your story now, _tomatito_?"

"Fuck no... Who the hell said that I would?" Lovino snapped.

Carriedo's frown deepened and he leaned forward, his hand fastening around the Italian's wrist despite Lovino's attempts to get away.

"That's not fair, _italiano peque__ñ__o_ (**little Italian**)," the captain whispered silkily. "I told you everything... And yet you give me nothing."

"W-why the hell does it matter to you?" Lovino growled, his wide amber eyes and shaking muscles betraying his fear. "And you haven't told me everything..."

"What else is there to tell you?" Carriedo demanded, his handsome features twisted into a snarl that sent shivers down Lovino's spine.

"...Y-You asked me why I'm here," Lovino stammered, silently cursing himself for his weakness. "I could ask y-you the same thing."

The Spaniard was taken aback. He studied the trembling Italian, barely noticing that his grip had begun to weaken on the younger man's wrist. Lovino took the opportunity to yank his arm away from Antonio, a small curse breaking through his lips as he rubbed at the bruises that were already forming on his olive skin. Antonio forced himself not to focus on the guilt that welled within him at the sight of the stains that had begun to spread across the Italian's creamy skin.

"...What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"Why are you here?" Lovino asked. "How did you get here... How did you turn into..."

"A devil?" Antonio guessed.

"A man who isn't afraid to steal anymore," Lovino countered. "A-A man who can threaten people and kill them without a second thought... A man who- who doesn't care if he goes to hell or not."

"Do you really think that?"

The Italian didn't answer again.

Antonio slowly shook his head, unable to explain the sudden pain that went through him at the Italian's words. He opened his mouth to reply, to say something, say _anything_ that would erase those words from his mind, his memory, his existence...

The words never left his lips.

"_Kapitein_! (**Captain!**)" Lars called from the ship's helm.

Antonio stiffened, his ears burning as they caught the faint hint of fear in the Dutchman's voice.

"Lars?" he called back. "What-"

"_A __Á__guia_ (**The Eagle**)," Lars croaked.

"W-what did he say?" Lovino demanded, his eyes widening as the blood drained immediately from the Spaniard's face. "W-what the hell is going on?"

"_Mi hermano_ (**My brother**)," Antonio whispered through numb lips.

_Alvarez..._

**_Muahahaha! _Finally! Okay, I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long... you have no idea how hard this was to write... Luckily, the next chapter will be easier to write, so I promise that I'll have it out as soon as I can. Just... please have patience with me, okay guys? Things are starting to get REALLY hectic around here...**

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews! You guys rock!**

**And yes, Antonio's brother is Portugal.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Lovino wasn't entirely sure how he ended up crouching behind Antonio's door. He could barely remember the last thirty seconds- couldn't remember how Antonio had moved so fast, his curly brown hair a dark blur against the bright blue sky as he raced up to join Lars at the helm. Somehow, Carmen and Felipe had appeared at the Italian's side, their slim, calloused hands pulling him with surprising force. Carmen had released him the moment the door shut behind them, her tanned features frighteningly-pale beneath her dark hair. The girl was currently pacing restlessly around the room, her lips curling with half-hearted disgust everytime she passed by Lovino's section of the room. Felipe had remained close to the Italian, his small hand tangled in the folds of Lovino's thin shirt.

"He'll be here soon," the younger boy whimpered.

"Who? Anto- The Captain's brother?" Lovino hissed back.

Felipe nodded silently, a small shudder running through his body as several new pairs of feet slammed into the deck. Lovino frowned and strained to see more beyond the door, a low curse breaking through his lips when Isa moved discreetly to block the door from view.

"I can't see a damn thing," he snapped. The Italian pushed silently away from the door, his eyes narrowing as they swept across the darkened room. His gaze locked almost immediately on the window next to Antonio's bed, a grim smile flickering across his lips when he saw that the glass had been propped open.

"Does that lead out onto the deck?" he murmured, gesturing towards the opening. _I could probably squeeze through it... _

Carmen stopped pacing and glanced over at him in confusion, her brow furrowing as she followed his gaze.

"The side of the ship," she hissed.

"You could probably climb to the deck if you tried," Felipe mused quietly, his green eyes wide as they flickered between his companions.

"_C__á__llate!_ (**Shut up**!)" Carmen whispered. "No one is going out onto the deck... Antonio would kill us."

"Why?" Lovino demanded, his eyes tightening in alarm when a low thud reached his ears from the deck outside, followed by the barest whisper of pain.

Carmen flinched at the sounds, her harsh expression crumbling into a scared, vulnerable stare.

"I- His brother," she sighed reluctantly. "Captain Alvarez Carriedo. He- He visits sometimes to... check up on Antonio... And to test his crew."

"Test?" Lovino repeated sharply. Another thud reached his ears, causing the three occupants of Antonio's room to cringe.

"_S-Si_," Carmen gasped. "Alvarez, he- he always challenges Antonio to a fight when he comes. If Antonio is defeated, Alvarez asks if anyone in his crew wants to defend their captain. If they- if someone volunteers, Alvarez takes them."

"H-He... Just like that? He just... takes them away?" Lovino whispered. The Italian felt the blood drain from his face as the siblings nodded, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "What does he do to them?"

"_No sabemos_ (**We don't know**)," Felipe admitted quietly.

"And... if no one steps up for An- for the Captain?"

Another thud, a cry that wasn't quite so hushed, followed by a loud, almost musical laugh that sent chills down Lovino's spine.

"_Le duele Antonio_ (**He hurts Antonio**)," Carmen choked. She glared furiously at the door, her cheeks flushed with anger and dismay. "I hate this..."

"Is that why they locked us in here?" Lovino hissed. "To keep us from interfering?"

Felipe nodded solemnly. "_Hermano_ knows that we would try and protect him... And he doesn't know what you will do."

Lovino was silent then, his eyes traveling back to the window with a determined gleam.

_You stupid bastard..._

*SPAMANO*

Antonio hissed as the blade cut into his skin once again, his jaw clenching in frustration at the sight of the triumphant gleam in Alvarez's eyes.

"This fight gets shorter every year, _irm__ã__o_ (**brother**)," he taunted. "You need to practice more."

"I practice everyday, _hermano_, just like you told me to," Antonio muttered.

Another flash of silver. Antonio couldn't stop the groan that broke through his lips as another fire erupted along his arm. Alvarez smirked, his smile widening just as a second flash caused the fire to spread to Antonio's torso.

"No you don't," the older man whispered silkily. "Not the right way..."

Blood roared in Antonio's ears as he made a final lunge towards his brother, a small, cruel smile making its way to his lips when his own blade finally made contact with Alvarez's skin. The Portuguese captain blinked, his dark green eyes surprised for a brief moment as they considered the thin ribbon of scarlet that was now running down his bare arm. He smiled suddenly and stretched his arms above his head, the muscles of his naked chest glistening with a light sheen of sweat in the golden light of the sun. Antonio rolled his eyes at his brother's display, his hands twitching with the urge to wipe away the drops of sweat that clung stubbornly to his brow.

"_Parab__é__ns_ (**Congratulations**), Antonio," he whispered. "You've learned."

Antonio frowned, a shiver of unease running down his spine at the tone of his brother's voice. Before he could move, Alvarez drove the hilt of his sword into Antonio's ribs. The Spaniard fell to his knees, his teeth gritted together to keep a groan from breaking through his lips. Alvarez chuckled and leaned over his fallen brother, his dark green eyes flashing with something that wasn't quite triumph.

"Here we go again, _irm__ã__o_," he murmured. The Portuguese captain straightened up and glanced around at other men and women that were gathered around the edges of the deck, their gazes locked on the brothers with varying expressions of resignation.

Alvarez flashed Antonio's crew a dazzling smile, apparently oblivious to the blood that was still running down his arm.

"You all know the drill by now, _correto_ (**right**)?" he called cheerfully. "Who will step up and defend their captain?"

Antonio raised his head to glare meaningfully at his crew, his shoulders slumping with a sick, twisted relief when no one stepped forward. Alvarez pouted slightly and turned back to his brother with a small smirk.

"Looks like it's just us, Antonio," he purred.

Antonio stiffened, his eyes locked on Alvarez's as the older man raised his sword again. Alvarez's smile widened, although Antonio couldn't help but notice that the expression didn't reach his eyes. The two captains were focused only on each other, not even bothering to focus on the weapon that was beginning to fall towards the fallen Spaniard, not even registering the flash of auburn that was rushing towards them across the salt-encrusted boards.

Both men froze when a thin, olive-toned hand stopped the sword in the midst of its descent. Antonio stared up at the slim man that now stood between him and his brother, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the odd curl that bobbed in time with every movement of its owner's shoulders.

"Lovi..." he breathed.

Alvarez slowly removed his sword from Lovino's grip, his eyes watching the grim-faced Italian with open curiosity.

"_Quem __é__ voc__ê__?_ (**Who are you?**)" he asked.

Lovino straightened his shoulders and glared up at the other captain, his hands trembling slightly as they lowered to his sides.

"Lovino Vargas," he snapped. "I-I'm here to defend _il mio capitano_ (**my captain**)."

"No!" Antonio hissed. "Lovi-"

Alvarez considered the younger man, his eyes glowing with a sudden burst of excitement.

"Very well," he chuckled. The captain raised his hand and beckoned for a tall, muscular man with caramel skin to come forward. "Paulo? Take the boy-"

"No!" Antonio snarled. The Spaniard leapt to his feet and shoved Lovino behind him, his emerald eyes flashing with raw fury.

Alvarez raised his eyebrows, his hand falling to his side. "Is there a problem?"

"You're not taking him," Antonio snapped. Another snarl erupted from his throat when Paulo moved forward, his hand flashing towards the dagger that was still sheathed at his hip.

Paulo paused and glanced questioningly towards his captain, his eyes widening in silent surprise when Alvarez motioned for him to retreat.

"...Do you want to fight me for him, _irm__ã__o_?" he whispered. "Will that make his loss less painful for you?"

"I won't lose him," Antonio vowed.

Alvarez smirked. "_Vamos ver_ (**We'll see**)." The older captain moved to attack again, only to have Antonio slip past his sword, his dagger flashing in the light of the setting sun. Alvarez staggered, his wide eyes flashing down to the newest ribbon of scarlet that was slithering down his toned torso. Antonio growled and moved again, his elbow slamming into the small of Alvarez's back. The Portuguese captain stumbled forward and turned again. Antonio dodged his brother's second attack and tackled the larger man to the ground, his dagger shoved against Alvarez's jugular vein. Alvarez struggled against Antonio's grip, his eyes wide with surprise.

"_Usted no va a tenerlo_ (**You will not have him**)," Antonio growled.

"What if... I told you that you would have to kill me... to keep him?" Alvarez wheezed.

Antonio was silent for a moment, his eyes hardening with grim resolve.

"I've stood by and let you take things from me too many times, _hermano_," he whispered. "I won't do it again."

Alvarez nodded slowly, his eyes glowing with... pride?

"You've learned," he murmured. "_Bom trabalho_ (**Good job**), Antonio."

Antonio frowned and pushed himself off of his brother, his muscles tensed in anticipation as the older captain got to his feet.

Alvarez merely smirked and pulled Antonio into a tight hug, causing the Spaniard's eyes to widen in surprise.

"_H-hermano_?" he gasped.

Alvarez Carriedo pushed away from the embrace and reached out to ruffle his brother's hair, his brow furrowing slightly when he caught sight of the small splotches of scarlet that stained his brother's shirt.

"Forgive me," Alvarez murmured. "Do you need any bandages?"

"I'm fine," Antonio sighed. "I- _Hermano_, what-?"

"Later, _irm__ã__o_," his brother whispered. "For now, though, I would rather appreciate some dinner before we head out."

Antonio nodded reluctantly and motioned for Isa to go below. Isa hesitated before nodding in return and moved towards the entry way, only to pause by the door to Antonio's cabin.

Carmen and Felipe ran onto the deck as soon as the door was opened, their wide, light-green eyes locking immediately on Antonio before traveling to the Italian that was slowly inching his way back into a corner. Carmen hurried to Lovino's side and grabbed his hand, her eyes narrowing beneath her long dark hair when she caught sight of a gash in his palm.

"_Idiota_," she hissed. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Lovino flushed bright red and opened his mouth to argue, only freeze as Carmen pulled him into a tight hug. Antonio laughed at the display, his smile widening when Bella and Carlos joined in behind him.

Alvarez caught his brother's eye and smiled slightly.

"You have a good crew, _irm__ã__o_," he murmured. "...Make sure we dine alone."

**Hey! So, hopefully this chapter wasn't too confusing... Ah well. Anyways, I don't really have much to say here, so thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed this story so far, and please keep telling me what you think, okay? Thank you so much!**

**Also, just so you know, Paulo is Brazil. Yep, just thought that I would put that in there.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

"…I'm not even going to ask about that," Alvarez muttered, his lips quirking upwards in amusement as he gestured towards Lovino's corner of the cabin.

Antonio flushed despite himself and shrugged. The Spaniard leaned forward to rest his elbows on the rough surface of the table that Carlos and Lars had dragged into his cabin about an hour ago, taking care to avoid the bowl of soup that Isabella had made.

"What is this about, _hermano_?" he asked quietly.

Alvarez shrugged and hastily swallowed a mouthful of his own soup, his green eyes widening in silent appreciation.

"_Isso é bom_ (**This is good**)," he mumbled.

"_Hermano_," Antonio pressed.

The older captain sighed.

"Very well," he whispered. He glanced up at his brother, his expression pleading beneath his long dark hair. "Antonio… There's something that I have to say to you."

Antonio nodded patiently and waited, his lips quirking involuntarily when he heard a small rustle and a low curse behind him. Alvarez smirked as well and moved to investigate the noise, only to stop when Antonio shook his head.

"_Un momento, por favor_ (**One moment, please**)," the younger brother mouthed.

Carmen and Felipe yelped when Antonio dragged them out from under his bed, their cheeks flushing identical shades of red as they glared sullenly at the floor in front of them. Antonio chuckled and shoved them gently towards the door, his lips curving upwards into a fond smile.

"Go to Isabella," he ordered. "I'll come to see you both after this is over."

The siblings nodded reluctantly and exited silently, their eyes flickering back towards Alvarez as they did so. The older Carriedo smiled hesitantly and gave them a small wave, his eyes widening in shock when Felipe grinned and waved back.

"…You have an interesting crew," the Portuguese man observed when the door had shut behind the siblings. "I can see why you told them not to defend you."

"You knew about that, then?"

"_Sim_ (**yes**)," Alvarez admitted. "It wasn't hard to figure it out, _irmão_. I could tell by the way they looked at you that they wanted to defend you."

"Ah." Antonio walked back to his seat, his brow furrowed thoughtfully. "…Why did you fight me?"

Alvarez grimaced and reached for another spoonful of his soup, his lips twisting into a self-deprecating smirk when Antonio reached out to stop him.

"I know that it's my fault that you turned to piracy," the older man admitted. "When you came back to me in Italy and begged me to let you go, I should have let you but I…. couldn't."

"Why?" Antonio pressed gently.

Alvarez chuckled and shook his head. "I couldn't lose you. I'd already lost _mamãe_ (**mama**) and _papai_ (**papa**), I didn't want to let go of my only brother as well. And yet, I knew that you were unhappy around me…"

"It wasn't you, _hermano_," Antonio objected quietly. "I just didn't want the life that you wanted."

"_Eu sei_ (**I know**). I didn't know it then, but… I think I got the hint when you ran away," Alvarez chuckled. "Next thing I know, there you are- prancing around on the deck of an enemy ship, practically begging to get yourself killed. I barely managed to stop my captain from killing you, you know."

"I didn't know that," Antonio admitted. "Francis told me that you were on the ship, but… He failed to mention that you weren't one of the one who were trying to kill us."

"The Frenchman?" Alvarez guessed. "I heard about him. The rumors said that you had formed a crew with him and some German-"

"Prussian," the younger man corrected automatically. "I met them shortly after I ran away from you. We stayed together until Gil left to take care of his younger brother when their father died. Francis… wasn't the same after we lost him. I left soon after and started my own crew."

"You know he's been tracking you," Alvarez murmured. "That Frenchman. He's probably been tracking you since you left."

"_Sí, yo sé_ (**Yes, I know**)," Antonio admitted. "Is that why you-?"

"I didn't want you to be as unprepared as you were during that first attack," the older man explained slowly. "It's hard to fight against friends, and knowing you… It would be harder for you to defend yourself against someone that you loved than it would have been for me. I started these attacks so that you would be ready when _he_ attacked."

"What about my crew?" Antonio interrupted, his emerald eyes flashing with old anger. "You took three of my crewmembers because they defended me."

"I wanted to test your crew, see how loyal they were to you," Alvarez muttered. "I didn't harm any of the ones that I took away."

"What did you do to them?"

"I let them join my crew," he insisted. "After a few weeks, I asked them if they wanted to go back to you. Every one of them said no."

Antonio stared at his older brother, his lips parted in shock. "Why?"

"Because you let them go," Alvarez whispered.

Antonio flinched as if he had been struck, his expression stricken. "I-"

"I won't attack you again," Alvarez interrupted. "You don't need them."

"What?"

"The way you defended that Italian boy," the Portuguese man murmured. "You _would_ have killed me, wouldn't you?"

Antonio was silent for a long moment, his emerald eyes solemn. "…Yes."

Alvarez nodded with approval and stood, his lips quirking upwards into a small smile.

"I think it's time for me to go," he murmured. "There's a British galleon several leagues away that's been calling to me for the past week."

Antonio chuckled and stood as well, his expression contemplative. Suddenly, the Spaniard reached out and drew his brother into a tight hug, causing the other man to yelp in surprise.

"_Ten cuidado, hermano_ (**Be careful, brother**)," he whispered.

Alvarez nodded stiffly and hesitantly returned the gesture before he turned away, his smile widening despite his best efforts.

"…Goodbye, Antonio," he called over his shoulder. "Call me if you ever need any-"

"I will," Antonio interrupted calmly. "Now get off my ship."

The Spaniard waited until his brother's laughter had faded from the room before he went to the window, his emerald eyes bright as he watched the Portuguese captain strut confidently onto his ship.

"…You can come out now, Lovi," he murmured.

The Italian swore colorfully as he stumbled out from behind his curtain, his cheeks scarlet beneath tousled auburn hair.

"How the hell did you know that I was there?" he demanded sourly.

Antonio shrugged. "Lucky guess… Would you like some soup?"

The Italian grumbled under his breath but slipped hesitantly into Alvarez's vacated seat. He was silent for a long moment, his amber eyes watching Antonio carefully.

"…Why would you kill your brother for me?" he asked quietly.

Antonio smiled.

"Because you're special," he whispered. "Besides, how can I get into heaven without you, _mi angel_ (**my angel**)?"

Lovino blushed and focused on his soup, trying to ignore the way his eyes burned at the Spaniard's statement.

_I'm no one's angel… Not anymore._

**Hey! Sorry this is a bit short… And sorry that it took so long to get this up :/ Just a warning: Updates will probably still be a little slow. Mid-Terms are starting to come up, along with the school play, and my parents have lovingly informed me that I need to start writing scholarship essays soon… /shot/ Please be patient- I promise that I will finish this fic eventually!**

**Reviews make me happy, even when days are crappy! Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Okay, brief warning here: This is an incredibly dark chapter, and there's a bit of implied smut… Just, not Spamano… I don't know how to explain it, but just… Yeah, you've been warned, okay?**

Chapter 7

_Lovino sprinted through the darkened Roman streets, his narrowed eyes flickering uneasily between the gleaming ivory palazzos that towered above him, their darkened windows staring down at him in silent judgment. The Italian shivered and forced himself to move faster, struggling to ignore the chill that had started to seep into his skin beneath his thin pink shirt._

_ A single lit window rose up out of the darkness, beckoning to Lovino with a forbidden flame. The young Italian slowed to a halt in front of the palazzo that housed the flickering light, his hands clenching into fists at his side as he wondered for the millionth time if he was doing the right thing._

_ Images of his grandfather's body broken and stained with blood flashed through his mind, followed almost immediately by the sight of Feliciano's frightened gaze, of the tears that flowed from the youngest Vargas's bright hazel eyes as he struggled to bind Roma's wounds, silently urging the old man to open his eyes._

_ "I need to do this," Lovino told himself. "We- They need this… they need help."_

_ He took a deep breath and hesitantly made his way towards the palazzo's back entrance, his slim hand raised to knock against the polished wood._

_ The door opened the moment he touched it, revealing an elderly man clothed in the bright blues and golds of his master's household._

_ "Sei il ragazzo? (__**Are you the boy?**__)" he asked hoarsely._

_ Lovino nodded stiffly, his jaw clenching as the old man gave him a careful once-over. After a moment, the servant shrugged and allowed the boy into the house, his expression carefully neutral as he led Lovino into the main area of the house. The younger Italian kept his amber eyes focused on the ground, refusing to spare a single glance at the gaudy golden ornaments and silk hangings that were draped across every spare inch of the place. He looked up when his guide came to a stop outside of another door, his mouth twisting into a grimace when he caught sight of the tiny hint of sympathy that had appeared in the elder's wrinkled features._

_ "__Sarò qui quando ha finito con te (__**I will be here when he is done with you**__)."_

_ Lovino nodded again and waited for the man to open the door, his chin raised defiantly, his hands clenched to mask the tremors that had begun to spread throughout his body. He moved past the servant into the dimly-lit room, his lips tightening when the door closed behind him._

_ "Padre nostro," he murmured under his breath. "Che sei nei cieli, sia santificato il tuo nome."_

_ "Ciao," a voice cooed from the shadows. "I've been waiting for you, angioletto (__**little angel**__)."_

_ "Venga il tuo regno," Lovino continued silently, his lips barely moving as he slowly slipped out of his shirt, his fingers stalling when they ghosted over the edge of his loose trousers. "Sia fatta la tua volontá, c-come in cielo- Ah!"_

_ His assailant chuckled, his warm, fat fingers pressing against the panes of Lovino's slim chest for a brief moment before they started to slip lower, leaving a trail of painful fire in their wake._

_ "C-c-come in cielo cosí in terra," Lovino whimpered breathlessly. "Dacci oggi il nostro p-pane quotidiano..."_

_ "Are you whispering my name already, angioletto?" Hot breath brushed against Lovino's ear, making the Italian shiver. "We've barely started." His hands had slipped beneath the edge of Lovino's pants now, brushing against skin that had never felt a stranger's touch. Lovino shuddered and arched against the man that stood at his back, his amber eyes slipping closed as his knees buckled beneath him and a flash of cruel heat mixed with ice shot through his body like lightning._

_ "R-rimetti a noi i nostri debiti," Lovino sobbed quietly, his voice breaking as an unwilling moan was torn from his throat by burning flame and fat fingers that scratched against his frozen skin. "Come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri- ah!- d-debitori..."_

_ Lovino screamed, tears streaming across his frozen cheeks in a vain effort to soothe the flames that tore into his skin, threatening to scorch his very soul. He bit his cheek to silence another scream when the fire attacked him again, his lips still trembling in an effort to finish his prayer._

_ "E non ci indurre in tentazione," he murmured later, after the fire had faded and the fingers had faded into ghostly imprints tatooed across his skin. He was silent as the elderly servant pressed a small bag of coins into his hands, not even bothering to acknowledge the pitying glance that was handed to him along with a fresh set of clothes. He was already walking away when the door slammed shut behind him, lips still moving in a silent plea. "Ma liberaci dal male... A-a-"_

_ Lovino stopped and shuddered, his mouth working furiously, struggling to whisper one final word, one last syllable that could cleanse him of his sin, that could give him one last hope for forgivness. Another sob broke from his lips when he realized that the word wouldn't come, that he was beyond cleansing, beyond forgivness..._

_ I'll never get to heaven... I'm already in hell..._

"Lovi! Lovino! _Lovino!_"

Lovino shot off of his pallet, a raw scream breaking through his lips when he felt warm hands press gently against his shoulders in an effort to restrain him. He closed his eyes before he could see his newest tormentor, his body shaking as it remembered dim rooms and straining shadows, remembered fire that spread through his veins and scorched his soul-

"Lovino..."

The Italian froze in shock, his eyes flickering open hesitantly at the sound of his name. None of the others had known his name, he had always been their _angioletto_...

Anxious emerald eyes stared down at him beneath tousled chocolate hair, trying to pull Lovino back to a time when he wasn't stained, when he wasn't trapped in hell. He shuddered again and felt arms- _warm_, not hot or cold or _burning_ but warm- wrap around him in a hesitant embrace, felt his wet cheek press against the soothing roughness of a stained woolen shirt.

"Lovi..." Antonio whispered, his calloused fingers rubbing gently against the tears that still streamed across the Italian's pale face. "What-?"

Lovino shook his head and pressed his face deeper into Antonio's chest. No, not now... He couldn't talk about it now...

The Spaniard sighed and nodded his understanding, his arms tightening when another shudder ripped through the Italian's slender form.

"_Esta bien_, Lovi," he whispered. "It's okay. I'm right here."

"D-Don't leave," Lovino whispered, silently hating himself for the weak whimpers that continued to break through his trembling lips.

"_Nunca_ (**Never**)," the Spaniard promised.

**Okay, quick note: Lovino was saying the "Our Father" in Italian during his flashback. Also, I am so sorry for a,) how short this was and b.) how angst-filled it was but… Well, it had to come sometime, I guess.**

**I'll try and update as soon as I can, okay? In the meantime, please review and tell me what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Antonio stumbled out of his cabin just as the first streaks of sunlight began to stain sky in hues of gold and amber. The Spaniard spared the horizon a quick, approving glance before continuing on his way towards the wheel, his tanned hands rubbing wearily against his cheek. He hadn't been able to sleep after Lovino had woken him up in the middle of the night with low moans and heartbreaking screams, his entire being so focused on the trembling Italian in his arms that he barely noticed the passage of time until Bella's quiet knock on the cabin door reminded him of his other responsibilities.

"_Hermano?_"

Antonio grimaced and glanced up at the sound of Carmen's voice, a half-hearted smile rising to his lips when he caught sight of the concern in her light green eyes.

"_Buenos dias_ (**Good morning**), Carmen," he murmured.

"What's wrong?" Carmen demanded shortly. "Is Lovino alright?"

Antonio winced involuntarily at the sound of the Italian's name. Out of the corner of his eye, the Spaniard noticed Bella and Isa shoot him more concerned looks before they turned back to the exhausted Carlos that had just relinquished the wheel.

"Rough night, Carlos?" Antonio called out with forced cheer.

The Peruvian smiled wearily and shrugged, his lips curving into a small smile when Isa moved to help him below deck. Carmen huffed impatiently and grabbed the captain's arm, forcing him to look back at her.

"Don't change the subject," she hissed. "What's wrong?"

Antonio simply shook his head as images of Lovino sobbing in his arms flashed through his mind, his fingertips tingling with the memory of the younger man's tears. He made to push past the Mexican girl, only to jerk to a stop when Lars stepped casually into his path.

"_Beantwoord de meisje, idioot_ (**Answer the girl, idiot**)," the Dutchman said flatly. "What happened?"

"Lovino... had a nightmare," Antonio muttered.

"And?" Carmen snapped. "We've all had them."

"You didn't hear him," the Spaniard retorted. "Something... Something's wrong. Something happened to him. He wouldn't let me touch him when I first woke him up, he was terrified- like he expected me to hurt him. He doesn't let me touch his hair, and he looked upset last night when I called him an angel-"

"Too much information," Lars grumbled, earning himself a sharp jab in the gut from an irritable Carmen.

The Mexican girl glanced back at Antonio, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Did he... say anything while he was asleep?"

Antonio slowly shook his head. "He just screamed and... moaned."

"I really didn't need to hear that," Lars groaned.

Carmen shoved the Dutchman away again, her lips pursed in a mixture of sympathy and uncertainty. She hesitated for a moment, her slender fingers picking anxiously at the hem of her loose white shirt.

"...Did you ask him about it?" she whispered.

Antonio shook his head and turned away, his jaw working. "I didn't- I couldn't..."

"Maybe you should have," Lars broke in. "If there's something.. not right about him, then-"

The Dutchman was cut off as Antonio whirled on him, his full lips twisted upwards into a snarl.

"There is _nothing_ wrong with him," the Spaniard growled. "Nothing. _Me entiendes?_ (**Do you understand me?**)"

Lars shrugged and walked away, his hands clenched into tense fists at his sides. Carmen bit her lip and watched him go, her jade eyes flickering warily between the two men.

"...He's just worried, you know," she murmured. "We all are."

"Why don't you trust Lovino?" Antonio demanded.

"I _do_," the Mexican girl insisted. "Or, I want to. It's the rest of the world that I don't trust."

"What do you-?"

"_Piense_ (**Think**), Antonio," Carmen sighed. "Lovino's a good person. He cares about you- it's possible he might even care about some of us- but he's fragile, even Felipe can tell that. You of all people should know about limits- how much do you think it would take to break someone like Lovino?"

The Spaniard visibly flinched at the younger girl's words, his emerald eyes widening with a rare flash of vulnerability before they hardened into chips of green ice.

"Lovino is different," he hissed. "Tell Bella and Lars to make for the nearest port. We need to resupply."

Carmen nodded reluctantly and watched as the Spaniard turned back towards his cabin.

"I hope you're right about him," she murmured.

*Spamano*Spamano*Spamano*

"...Thanks for walking me to my room," Carlos mumbled. The Peruvian stumbled suddenly, his dark hair brushing for the briefest of moments against Isa's chin.

Isa stiffened and glanced down at her companion, her olive cheeks flushing when she met his weary chocolate eyes. Carlos flashed her a crooked smile, his rough hands tightening tenderly around her slim shoulders. He hesitated for a brief moment, his brown features tinged with the faintest hint of pink beneath his black curls.

"...I need to go to be," he croaked.

"_Sí_," Isa whispered.

Carlos nodded and gently pushed away, his lips lifting upwards into another small smile before he shuffled tiredly towards the nearest hammock. Isa hastily turned away and made her way towards the galley. She slipped into the food pantry and leaned wearily against the nearest wall, her shoulders heaving with a weary sigh.

"_Dio_, you two are dense."

Isa gasped, her eyes locking immediately on the small Italian that stood beside one of the barrels, his lithe fingers curled greedily around a small strip of dried meat. Lovino blushed and glanced down at his feet, his expression slightly sheepish.

"...Sorry," he muttered. "I was hungry."

"I-It's alright," Isa murmured. "What did you-?"

"You," Lovino sighed. "And Carlos. You like him."

The Argentinian gaped at him, her eyes narrowing indignantly as she prepared to speak. "Don't deny it," Lovino interrupted wearily. "I'm an Italian, remember? We're all about love and shit where I come from."

"I thought that was the French," Isa whispered. She frowned slightly when the Italian flinched in response, his amber eyes darkening in... fear? "What-?"

"Why don't you tell him?" Lovino interrupted.

Isa grimaced and sank slowly to the floor, her knees pressing lightly against her chest.

"Antonio told you why I joined his crew," she guessed.

"He told me that you had a...er, that you..." The Italian bit his lip and glanced down at his feet, his brow furrowing with embarrassment beneath his auburn hair.

Isa laughed aloud at the young man, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "_Que tenía un amante?_ (**That I had a lover?**)" She paused to take a deep breath, her features darkening for a moment as memories overwhelmed her. "I met Raul (Chile) when he came with his father on a business venture to my city. My father and his were involved in trade and wanted to make a deal so our families... saw a lot of each other. It didn't take me very long to fall for him. Raul was...charming. He knew what to say and when to say it; he knew how to make me feel like I was the only girl in the world... like I was special. Before he left, he- he told me that he would always love me, that I was his _alma gemela_ (**soulmate**), and I believed him.

"Barely a week after he returned to his country, I followed him. I stole some of my father's money, dressed myself in his clothes, and stuffed whatever I thought that I would need into a sack. Within a month, I had reached his home. I thought that he would welcome me, that we would be together again and things would be just as they had been, but..."

"You found out that he was married," Lovino guessed flatly. "Sorry," he added when the woman raised her eyebrows. "Antonio told me."

Isa smiled sadly. "_Sí_, he had been married the day before. Fortunately, I learned about the marriage before I went to his home, but... I still felt the pain. I ran away before I could do anything foolish and tried to use what little money that I had left to rent a room at an inn and buy some food. That was when Antonio found me. He told me that one of his crewmen had seen me earlier and offered me a home."

"And Carlos?" Lovino prompted, his words slightly muffled by the meat that he had shoved into his mouth.

Isa smiled slightly. "He was my first friend. He showed me around, taught me how to be part of a crew, how to fight. He was the one who told Antonio that I could cook, you know."

"But...?"

"...How can I trust him?" she whispered. "How can I trust anyone after Raul-?"

"You have to learn," Lovino murmured. He sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair, his thin lips pursed irritably as he thought over his next words. "Listen... I know it's hard. People don't always deserve your trust, but that doesn't mean that all of them are complete assholes, you know? Sometimes... you just need to give them a chance."

"What happens if you get hurt?"

Lovino shrugged and flashed the older crewmember a half-hearted smile, his hand brushing unconsciously against the bandage that had been wrapped around his injured palm.

"Love always comes with a price, doesn't it?" he murmured.

**Hey! Sorry that ending was a bit… eh. Anyways, school got called off today because of the weather, so I figured I should use this lovely opportunity to get another update up~ I'm not really sure when I'll have a change to update again, but I promise that I'll have a new chapter up as soon as I can. **

**Thanks for putting up with my sucky schedule, guys! Please review and let me know what you think about anything- the story, Spamano, British television, chocolate chip cookies, anything you want~! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Lovino glanced down at the rough wooden pier that had suddenly appeared beside the ship, his wide amber eyes flickering up to take in the bustling port clogged with drunk sailors, loud vendors, and scantily-clad prostitutes.

"...Did I die and go to hell?" he asked wryly, not really expecting an answer.

Someone snorted behind him, causing the Italian to jump. Lovino glanced over his shoulder, his lips falling open in surprise when he saw Lars standing a few inches away, his thick arms crossed awkwardly in front of the broad, muscular chest that was barely hidden by a loose white shirt and his usual blue-and-white scarf. The Dutchman's lips quirked up into a small, reluctant smirk at the sight of Lovino's shock before he returned his gaze to the port, his light blue eyes narrowing protectively when he noticed Bella and Carmen walking past them on the pier.

"_Waar denk je dat je heen gaat? _(**Where do you think you're going?**)" he called sharply.

Both girls glanced up with raised eyebrows and shrugged.

"_Inkopen_ (**Shopping**)," Bella yelled back.

"Alone?" Lars nearly growled, his expression shifting abruptly into a dangerous look that had Lovino inching away.

Bella and Carmen were unimpressed.

"No," Carmen retorted. "Lovino's coming with us. Aren't you, Lovi?"

Lars turned his glare on the confused Italian. "...Oh he is, is he?"

"Ah..." Lovino glanced down at the two women that were suddenly watching him with interest, their expressions bright with innocent smiles. "...They're armed, aren't they?"

"To the teeth," Lars admitted with a sigh. "You might as well go with them, they'll be able to take care of you if you do something stupid."

"What the hell?" Lovino sputtered. "What happened to that whole protective act you were pulling five seconds ago?"

Lars's cheeks flushed slightly and he shrugged. "...I'm still the older brother, dammit..."

The Italian laughed suddenly, much to the older man's surprise. "_Dio_, I know the feeling. Alright, I'll go with them."

"Wise choice," Carmen yelled. "Now get your ass down here, _italiano_ (**Italian**). Isa will kill us if all of the good food is gone before we get to the market."

Lovino sighed heavily and hurried down to the pier, his brow furrowing thoughtfully as he fell into step beside the two girls.

"...Do they sell tomatoes?" he asked quietly.

*Spamano*Spamano*Spamano*

Sadik Adnan leaned casually against the corner of the tavern, his lips quirking up into a smug grin when he caught sight of several prostitutes leering at him from across the street. He winked at them, his smile widening when one of them gasped and fairly swooned into the arms of one of her companions. The Turk chuckled quietly and melted further into the shadows cast by the building as two other women passed by accompanied by an annoyed Italian.

Lovino Vargas didn't realize that he was being watched. Then again, not many did. Sadik often wondered how people could be so ignorant, how they could overlook things that were _right in front of them_...

A man's calm, unreadable features swam across his vision for a brief moment, his coffee-colored skin framed by soft white folds of fabric. Sadik grimaced and closed his eyes, struggling to force the image away before he could see the harsh, accusing light in the other man's golden-brown eyes. The Turk took a deep, calming breath and forced his eyes open once again. Another, more reluctant smile made its way onto his lips when he saw that the eldest Vargas twin had drawn closer to his hiding spot while his female companions stopped to peer into a shop window filled with gleaming swords and daggers. In one swift, silent motion, Sadik reached out and pulled the Italian towards him, his free hand fastening around the younger man's mouth before he could cry out.

"_Merhaba küçük melek_ (**Hello little angel**)," he purred, his lips curling in pleasure when the endearment made the Italian stiffen. "Did you miss me?"

Several muffled growls escaped Lovino's lips indicated that he had not, in fact, been missed. Sadik snickered and tightened his grip on the Italian before slipping into the alley next to the tavern, his eyes locked on Lovino's friends behind his mask. He waited a moment before leaning close to the tense Italian, his lips barely an inch away from a scarlet ear.

"The Captain's getting a bit anxious, you know," he whispered silkily. "He figured Carriedo would make port here and sent me to see if you had made any progress." The Turkish pirate paused and took his time looking over the Italian, his gaze lingering purposely on a certain area of his lower regions. Lovino snarled and bucked violently against his grip, only to gasp when the action only caused Sadik to tighten his grip on his prisoner's neck.

"Ah, ah, ah," he hissed. "Now, judging by the fact that you're not _dead_, I'm assuming that Carriedo has decided to keep you around. Although, it doesn't look like you've made it into his bed yet..."

Lovino flushed bright red and glared at Sadik, not quite able to mask the slight trembling of his hands. He glanced up at the sound of twin cries of alarm, his amber eyes tightening above Sadik's hand. Sadik glanced lazily over his shoulder, a small chuckle breaking through his lips when he saw the two pirate girls run past the alley, their hands hovering anxiously over the sheathed weapons at their hips.

"Looks like your friends are worried," the Turk mused. "Don't worry, I won't keep you much longer; I just need to pass on a message: Stop fucking around. Captain Bonnefoy will be coming for Carriedo's ship in a week. Get the job done, or die trying. Your brother will suffer if you don't, _anladın mı_ (**understand**)?"

Lovino nodded stiffly. Sadik grinned and leaned closer, trying to ignore the sudden, aching familiarity that he felt at the sight of the fire in the younger man's eyes.

_Gupta had had a fire like that once..._

"Make sure you get the job done, kid," Sadik murmured quietly. "Bonnefoy doesn't take kindly to failure." _I know that more than anyone._

Lovino growled and struggled to escape, another whimper breaking through his lips when Sadik instinctively tightened his grip.

"...Let go of him, κώλος (**asshole**)."

Sadik stiffened in surprise and whirled around, his eyebrows rising behind his mask when he caught sight of a slender brown-haired man wielding a cross-shaped spear. The man glared at Sadik, his moss-green eyes flashing. Another, smaller man stood behind him, his wide brown eyes half-hidden beneath silky black hair. The smaller man bowed slightly in greeting, his own hands fastened around the hilt of a gleaming katana.

"Adnan-san," he called quietly. "Release the boy, please."

Sadik sneered and roughly shoved Lovino into the brown-haired man's arms, a low bark of laughter escaping his throat when the man was forced to drop his spear in order to catch the Italian.

"Take him," Sadik growled. "I've had my fun with him already, _feta breath_."

The brunette's eyes narrowed and he silently pushed Lovino towards his raven-haired companion, his green eyes never leaving Sadik's as he bent to retrieve his spear.

"Kiku," he murmured. "Take the boy into the tavern while I-"

"Herakles," Kiku interrupted urgently. "Please, this isn't necessary."

"He was assaulting-"

"Not here," Kiku urged. "Herakles. I don't want to be forced out of my home again."

The Greek grimaced guiltily and reluctantly lowered his spear.

"Get the hell out of here, Sadik," he snapped. "And don't let me see you here again, or I swear I _will_ kill you."

The Turk offered him an elaborate bow and pushed past him onto the streets, his smug smile faltering slightly when Kiku scrambled out of his way.

"…It was nice seeing you, Kiku," he murmured quietly. He grinned hesitantly, hoping to draw an answering smile from the unreadable man. "You sure you don't want to leave this boring cat-man?"

"I am fine here, thank you," Kiku replied quickly.

Sadik smiled tightly and continued on his way, his steps faltering for a brief moment as Herakles's voice followed him out into the streets.

"Gupta sends his regards."

_Damn you, Herakles_.

**Hi guys! I'm really sorry that it took me so long to get a chapter up…. Again. But thank you so much for having patience with me and for not sending ninjas to murder me in the middle of the night. I really hope that I can make my way towards a better updating schedule but, unfortunately, it doesn't look like my schedule is going to get much calmer for a bit longer. Please continue to have patience with me, and thank you so much to all the people who have read/reviewed this so far. Please, please, please review and tell me what you think, okay? Reviews give me more motivation to write!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

"…Are you sure that you're alright?"

Lovino shot a half-hearted glare at the Japanese man that was hovering over him, his slim hands clasped loosely around a steaming mug of tea. Kiku simply stared back at him, his chocolate eyes narrowed with the barest hint of concern beneath his silky black hair. The Italian sighed heavily and nodded after a few moments, his lips twisting into a grimace when the other man remained unconvinced.

Lovino hadn't been able to go back to Antonio's ship after Sadik's sudden reappearance. When Herakles and Kiku had offered him a place to stay for the night, the Italian had accepted without a second thought and had spent most of the evening struggling to find a way out of his predicament. So far, all it had gotten him was sleep deprivation and two annoyingly-observant innkeepers.

A cat leapt up onto the counter in front of Lovino, effectively breaking the Italian out of his thoughts. He smiled ruefully at the animal and reached out to run his fingers through its silky fur, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest when the cat turned to stare at him with bright emerald eyes.

"_Cazzo_ (**Fuck**)," he groaned. _Why the hell does everything have to remind me of that fucking bastard?_

"Lovino-san," Kiku murmured gently. "If something is bothering you… you could always talk to someone about it."

"Are you offering?" the Italian asked sarcastically.

Kiku shrugged and settled himself silently into the chair beside the younger man. The cat mewed quietly and left Lovino to curl up in the Japanese man's lap. Lovino glared at it then sighed, his fingers tightening reflexively around his cup.

"…I need to get out of here," he muttered.

"You could always go back to your ship," Kiku suggested quietly. "It's still there, you know… Although they should leave soon, if they don't want to be caught by the authorities."

Lovino glanced up at his companion sharply, his amber eyes widening in shock when he caught sight of Kiku's small smile.

"What- You know about them?" he demanded. "About me?"

Kiku shrugged. "Herakles-kun and I aren't exactly strangers to that way of life. We actually belong to a crew ourselves. This is just a… break, I suppose. Heracles likes to keep an eye on the ships that make port whenever we stop here, in case we run into any unwelcome faces."

"Sadik," Lovino guessed darkly.

Kiku nodded, his expression contemplative. "…Or his captain." His expression softened slightly when the younger man stiffened, his golden eyes suddenly bright with fear. "Is Captain Bonnefoy the reason why you are so afraid to go back?"

Lovino hesitated and stared down into the black depths of his tea. He frowned as an image of his brother's frightened, tear-stained features swam across his mind, followed almost immediately by Antonio's handsome, concerned face as he dragged the Italian back from his own personal hell.

"…_Ha mio fratello_ (**He has my brother**)," he said quietly. "They kidnapped us during a raid on our village close to a year ago. _Mio nonno_ (**My grandfather**), he-" Lovino's voice broke at the mention of his grandfather. He swallowed thickly and tightened his grip on the mug before he continued. "He went missing in the attack; he's probably dead for all we know... _Il bastardo francese_ (**The French bastard**), he told me that he would let _fratello_ and I go if I agreed to… to spy on someone a-and kill them for him. I-If I don't…" The Italian allowed his voice to trail off, not even bothering to describe the overwhelming horror and anger that had washed over him at the sight of the French captain's feral grin and cold, gleaming blue eyes.

Kiku nodded sympathetically and reached out to hesitantly pat Lovino's shoulder, his chocolate eyes sad.

"Will you do it, then?" he asked quietly. "Will you kill this… someone?"

Lovino shuddered at the thought and shrugged miserably.

"_Che scelta ho?_ (**What choice do I have?**)" he asked quietly.

Kiku shrugged. "There's always a choice."

Lovino sighed heavily and pushed away from the table, his lips quirking up into a hesitant smile when the cat meowed at him from its position in Kiku's lap.

"…Thanks for letting me stay," he sighed. "I need to go."

"Back to the ship?" Kiku guessed quietly.

The Italian laughed hollowly.

"Where else can I go?" he muttered. "…You sure he's still there?"

Kiku nodded once. "はい (**Yes**). My captain has an… interesting relationship with your captain. I tend to keep tabs on him."

Lovino raised his eyebrows but decided not to comment on that as he made his way out of the small seaside cottage.

"Thank you again," he called over his shoulder. "Tell Achilles that I said thanks to him, too."

Kiku stood up as well and offered the Italian a slight bow, his lips curving up into the smallest of smiles.

"Make sure to visit if you ever come back," he murmured. "I have a feeling that Achilles and I will be spending a lot more time here after we… sort out a few things."

"I might actually take you up on that offer," Lovino admitted. "If I fucking live long enough."

Kiku hummed quietly and watched as the Italian slowly made his way back to the docks. He moved silently to stand by the window and looked out across the ocean, his eyes locking for the briefest of moments on a familiar set of sails.

"…You will," he murmured.

*Spamano*Spamano*Spamano*

Lovino waited in the shadow of a pile of rough wooden crates, his eyes locked on the hull of Antonio's ship. He squinted and leaned forward slightly, just barely able to make out the shadowy figures of Carlos and Lars on the upper deck. The two men seemed anxious as they paced back and forth across the boards, their bodies stiff with tension. Lovino bit his lip and struggled to force his feet to move away from his hiding place towards the ship, a low curse rising in his throat when he found himself unable to move.

_What the hell am I waiting for?_ He thought wearily. _Not like I have another fucking choice…_

The Italian sighed heavily and closed his eyes, his own shoulders stiffening when Antonio's smiling face swam across the back of his eyelids, followed almost immediately by images of the rest of the Spaniard's crew. Lovino groaned and forced himself to focus on one of his last memories of Feliciano's smiling face. The younger Italian's hazel eyes were bright with innocence and hope as he clutched a bowl of steaming pasta to his chest, his lips curving into a wide smile that sent an aching pang through his brother's chest.

_I can't let anything happen to him_, Lovino told himself sternly. _A-Antonio would understand that… Feliciano is family…_

Antonio's emerald eyes flashed at him from the recesses of his mind, his tanned hand clenched around a small, gleaming dagger as he faced his brother and loudly swore that he would never let Lovino go.

_It's not the same!_ Lovino snapped mentally. _His brother was an asshole. Feli's innocent, he doesn't deserve to get hurt!_

A pair of young, innocent emerald eyes stared pleadingly at him beneath a thick mop of messy chocolate hair.

_Am I going to hell?_

"…Fuck," Lovino groaned. He tried to force himself to move forward again and gave up, his shoulders slamming silently against the tall stack of crates. He leaned his head back and pursed his lips, his mind whirling.

_Nonno_, he thought suddenly. _Nonno, are you really dead? If you are… are you watching over me from heaven? Tell me what to do, Nonno. I need you… I need your guidance now… I need your prayers._

"_Pues?_ (**Well?**)" A familiar, silky voice called from several feet away, causing Lovino to stiffen and press himself further into the shadows. "_Lo encontraste?_ (**Did you find him?**)"

"No," Bella's exhausted voice replied from the other end of the pier. "_Het spijt me_ (**I'm sorry**), Toni."

Antonio swore violently in Spanish. Lovino held his breath as the Spaniard's heavy footsteps passed by his hiding spot on his way towards the ship, his amber eyes darting to the side in a vain attempt to catch a glimpse of the other man.

"Where could he have gone?" the Spanish captain asked quietly. "…And you're sure you didn't see anything?"

"We already told you," Carmen's voice broke in. Lovino flinched when he heard the tell-tale roughness of her tone and felt a harsh wave of guilt rise up inside of him as he pictured her bright sea-green eyes rimmed and reddened with the tears that the young girl would refuse to shed. "He was gone before we even knew what was happening."

Antonio swore again and paced closer to the crates before turning back to the ship.

"I'm going to search for him again," he said determinedly. "Bella, Carmen, Isa, go and get some sleep."

"Antonio," Isa broke in anxiously. "You know you can't-."

"I _can_," the Spaniard snapped. "And I will."

"Toni, don't be a fool!" Bella hissed. "You're only going to get yourself killed if you go wandering around. Don't forget that the navy is here. They'll catch us if we stay here any longer… Antonio, please-."

"I'm not leaving without him!" Antonio snarled. "I'm not leaving him, I won't abandon him when he's lost-."

"What if he doesn't want to be found?" Isa whispered.

There was silence for a long moment. Lovino bit his lips and dug his fingernails into his palm to stop himself from gasping, his ears straining to hear Antonio's response.

"What are you talking about?" the Spaniard demanded quietly. "Of course he wants to be found! Why would he-?"  
"He didn't exactly choose to join the crew," Carmen pointed out quietly. "What if he used the opportunity to get away?"

"He protected us," Antonio objected. "He risked his life for us, he wouldn't leave."

"Are you sure?" Isa murmured. "Antonio, I like Lovino. He's sweet, and he's kind when he isn't swearing, but… you have to admit that there is a possibility that he didn't want to stay with us."

More silence. Lovino risked a small peek around the edge of the crates, the breath rushing from his lips in a silent gasp when he caught sight of the broken, vulnerable expression in Antonio's dull emerald eyes. The Italian ducked back behind the crates before anyone could catch a glimpse of him, his heart hammering in his chest.

"…I'm going to look for him again," Antonio said finally. "If I don't find him by midnight, we're leaving without him."

Bella sighed.

"Be careful," she murmured wearily. "Don't get yourself killed over some kid."

"He's not 'some kid'," Antonio objected softly. "Get back to the ship."

Lovino waited in the shadows until the footsteps had all faded, his mind still reeling. He risked a step away from his hiding spot and stared back towards the port town. If he squinted, he could barely make out the shape of a man slinking into the shadows, his shoulders hunched with exhaustion and sorrow. Lovino groaned and ran a hand through his hair, suddenly torn.

_Nonno… Tell me what to do_.

**Hey guys! I am so sorry that this took so long… Well, anyways, please let me know what you thought, okay? And for those of you who are also following Lullaby, I'm going to try and get an update for that up in the next few days.**

**Thanks to all the people who read/reviewed/favorite this story- you guys rock! Please review if you've got the time- tomorrow is going to be a tough day for me, and I could really use some feedback to cheer me up.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11

Antonio kept to the shadows on his way back into town, his eyes flickering half-heartedly across his surroundings in search of a familiar head of auburn hair. He stiffened and pressed further into the darkness as a pair of naval officers stalked past him, their hands fastened lazily around their rifles. One of the officers stumbled as he walked, his eyes bright and wild with the effects of too much alcohol. He smiled widely at something that his companion had said, his laughter echoing eerily in the empty streets.

_I'll have what you're having, amigo_, Antonio thought wearily. The Spaniard waited until the two officers had disappeared around the corner before he gingerly pulled himself away from his hiding place and continued on his way through the streets. He glanced quickly at the clock tower that rose above all of the other buildings several feet away, his heart sinking when he saw that it was almost time for him to go home.

"_Mierda_ (**Shit**)," he swore quietly, his voice breaking for the briefest of moments as he pressed a shaking hand over his eyes.

_I am a fool_, he realized bitterly. _How could I ever think that an angel would want to spend his life with a devil?_

Lovino's tense, frightened gaze rose up from the dark recesses of Antonio's mind, his slim fingers curling into tight fists at his sides as Antonio whispered that the Italian was his angel.

_I am a fool…_

"Oi! You there!"

Antonio stiffened and turned around slowly, his hand going instinctively to the sword that was strapped to his hip. The two officers that he had seen earlier were standing behind him, their rifles pointed lazily at his chest. The officer who had spoken edged forward slightly, his bright blue eyes duller than they had been before as he slowly got over his drunkenness.

"What are you doing out so late?" the officer demanded, his voice only slightly slurred. "The curfew went into effect about an hour ago."

"_Lo siento, señor_ (**Sorry, sir**)," Antonio replied smoothly. "I was looking for someone."

The officer frowned and adjusted the grip on his weapon, his eyes suspicious. "Would you like some assistance on your search?"

Antonio couldn't hold back a grimace at the man's offer, and slowly shook his head, his lips curving into a small, apologetic smile.

"That would not be wise," he admitted with false regret. "My little friend is rather afraid of the navy."

"And is he afraid of pirates as well?" the second officer called out scathingly, his grip tightening around his rifle.

Antonio's smile widened bitterly and he shrugged.

"I suppose he is," he sneered. "After all, _señor_, who isn't afraid of the devil?"

The two officers frowned and stepped forward in unison, their fingers twitching towards the triggers.

"You're coming with us now," the first officer commanded slowly, deliberately.

Antonio smiled thinly and slowly unsheathed his sword, his smile widening when the two officers stiffened in response. The pirate captain edged forward and lazily slashed his sword through the air, his sharp emerald eyes never leaving the faces of his opponents.

"Who's first?" he asked cheerfully.

*Spamano*Spamano*Spamano*

Lovino was getting dangerously close to hating tomatoes.

Granted, it wasn't really the _tomatoes'_ fault that they had been left on some stranger's front stoop, their scarlet skin winking up at him in the silver light of the moon. And he couldn't really blame the fruit for being so plump and flawless and _irresistible_…

Nonetheless, the Italian was silently cursing the tomato the moment he looked up from his juicy treasure and realized that he had lost sight of Antonio.

Lovino crept silently through the shadows now, his amber eyes sweeping across the deserted streets in search of the Spaniard that had invaded his thoughts and sent him stumbling into darkened streets out of some insane desire to make sure that the idiotic captain didn't get hurt.

_I'm just going to follow him until he gets back to his ship_, Lovino had told himself sternly. _The tomato bastard never has to know that I was following him… I'll go back to Kiku and Herakles' place in the morning… Their captain doesn't like the French bastard, right? Maybe he'll be able to help me…_

Now, the Italian wondered if he would really be able to let the Spaniard go thinking that Lovino had abandoned him, that the Italian didn't care about him, that he _wanted_ to leave…

_But you do, don't you?_ Lovino asked himself. _You want to leave and get Feli and go back to the village to look for Nonno and start over… Don't you?_

A familiar, faceless image came to the forefront of Lovino's mind with a hushed, silky _Angioletto_, reminding the Italian of the future that waited for him when he returned to his home. The Vargas family had lost everything in the raid, they couldn't rebuild their small home without money, and Feli would need to eat…

"…Who isn't afraid of the devil?" A familiar voice echoed through the streets, its normally-cheerful tones dark with danger. Lovino's heart skipped a beat and he hurried in the direction of the voice, his panic rising as he drew closer.

"You're coming with us." A stranger's voice, trembling with authority and fear.

The tell-tale scratch of steel against its sheath, followed by the chilling sound of a sword cutting effortlessly through the air.

"Who's first?" Antonio's voice again, his voice cold and deadly as the blade in his hand.

Lovino skidded to a stop just inside of the shadows that fell over the streets, his amber eyes locked on the trio of armed men that were too busy glaring at each other to notice their newest addition. The Italian felt his breath freeze in his throat when Antonio lunged out and left a small, wicked slash of red along the inside of one of the officer's arms. The other officer swore and aimed his rifle at the Spaniard's head, his finger moving to press against the trigger. Before he could stop to think, Lovino leapt out of the shadows and tackled the officer onto the ground, his knuckles smacking against the man's jaw with painful force. The officer jerked violently against Lovino and threw the Italian onto the ground, his rifle lying abandoned by his side. Blazing blue eyes glared down at the fallen Italian as a pale fist rose in the air near the Italian's body.

There was a low snarl and a flash of silver before the officer reeled back, his pale hand stained and dripping with red. Lovino felt the remains of his tomato rise in his throat when he realized that two of the man's fingers were missing, his eyes closing tightly before he could take a closer look. Something shifted a few inches away from him and strong arms reached out to curl around Lovino before lifting him off of the ground. The Italian stiffened and wrenched his eyes open, his gaze locking with a pair of concerned emerald eyes before he allowed himself to relax against a warm, muscular chest.

"… You alright, idiot?" he asked cautiously.

Antonio nodded mutely and hesitated, his arms tightening slightly around the smaller man.

"Are you?" he asked.

Lovino nodded and shifted, his brow furrowing when he realized that the Spaniard wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon.

"I can walk, you know," he pointed out sourly.

Antonio didn't move.

"I'm aware of that," the Spaniard replied curtly, his eyes hardening with the first hints of anger. "…Where were you, Lovino?"

"I-."

"Do you have any idea how worried we all were?" Antonio continued furiously. "We weren't even supposed to stop here; I only ordered Lars to stop here because of your nightmare. I thought that seeing solid land would help your spirits. Imagine my surprise when Bella and Carmen come running back to the ship later in the evening claiming that you had disappeared." The Spaniard stopped and looked away, his jaw working in an effort to form his next words. "…We started to think that you had run away," he admitted roughly.

"I almost did," Lovino replied honestly, his muscles tensing again when Antonio stared down at him with a mixture of surprise and pain.

"_¿Por qué?_ (**Why?**)" he croaked.

Lovino hesitated, his thoughts flickering back to Feliciano before his grandfather's face moved to the forefront, his honey-colored eyes soft as he smiled down at his eldest grandson.

"I- There's something that I need to tell you," he whispered.

Antonio frowned and slowly lowered Lovino onto the ground, his emerald eyes wary.

"Is it about where you were earlier today?" he asked slowly.

Lovino snorted and shifted uneasily on the ground, his eyes flickering unwillingly to the sword that had been slipped back into its sheath at Antonio's side. Its hilt glimmered mockingly at him, the shining brass dulled with dried blood. The Italian caught himself wondering if his blood would soon be added as another stain.

"Yes," he said slowly. "And more. It's… it's a long story."

Antonio nodded slowly and glanced over his shoulder towards the darkened streets, his expression calculating.

"…Follow me," he said at last.

Lovino winced at the distant tone of Antonio's voice and wordlessly followed the Spaniard, his eyes locking for a brief moment on another basket of tomatoes as they crept past. Antonio followed his gaze and chuckled tightly, his steps slowing as he reached down to grab two of the red fruits. Without another word, the Spaniard slipped into the nearest alleyway and gestured for Lovino to follow him. The Italian gulped but hurried after the pirate captain, his eyes widening slightly when Antonio knocked softly against a small, half-hidden door. A dark-haired man appeared at the doorway less than a second later, his head bent towards Antonio's in quiet conversation. After a few moments, the man nodded and gestured for Antonio to follow him. The Spaniard reached out and grabbed Lovino's wrist in an iron grip, his long legs carrying them swiftly towards a darkened room half-hidden by thick curtains and a rickety wooden wall. Antonio gently shoved Lovino onto a cushioned pallet before settling down beside him, his green eyes focused carefully on the wall opposite them.

"W-what the hell is this place?" Lovino demanded in a whisper.

"A brothel," Antonio replied easily. "Not really the most ideal location, but I figured you would want some privacy. Now." The Spaniard turned and fixed Lovino with a piercing stare, his eyes flashing warily.

"What do you need to tell me?"

**Hey guys! Sorry again for the delay… This past week has been an absolute nightmare now that my boss has started scheduling me for more hours, and I didn't really have any time to write before now. Still, thanks for having patience with my awful updating schedule, and please let me know what you think! Review! Revieewww! **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12

Lovino shifted uneasily on his annoyingly-comfortable seat, his mind whirling as he struggled to figure out the best way to word his confession. The damn Spaniard wasn't making things any easier for him, either. Antonio had put a little more distance between them since they had first entered the room, his muscled arms crossed casually in front of his chest as he watched Lovino with sharp emerald eyes.

"Are you having a change of heart, Lovino?" he asked stiffly, his handsome lips curling with the barest hint of a sneer.

The Italian felt something break inside of him at the sight of the sneer and he turned away, mentally cursing himself for not running when he had the chance.

_He could have been arrested if you hadn't stepped in_, a small voice that sounded suspiciously like Feliciano pointed out. _And he was looking for you. He put himself in danger just to find you._

Lovino really wanted the voice to shut up.

"I just… don't know where to start," he admitted carefully.

Antonio nodded slowly, his expression carefully patient.

"The beginning is usually a good place," the pirate captain pointed out wryly.

Lovino snorted despite himself and shook his head.

"That's the problem, I guess," he muttered. "I don't really know what the beginning is anymore."

_That_ seemed to take the Spaniard aback. The pirate frowned and pulled farther away until his shoulders were pressed against the paneled wood wall, his expression abruptly thoughtful.

"Then… start as early as you can and pretend that it's the beginning," he suggested finally.

Lovino rolled his eyes and pulled away until his own shoulders were pressed against the wall opposite Antonio, his boots still twitching anxiously inches away from Antonio's crossed ankles.

"Way to narrow it down," he muttered under his breath. After a moment, he added "How much do you remember about me from… before?"

Antonio's frown deepened, his lips quirking upwards into a small, sad smile.

"I remember that you looked really cute in a dress," he offered slyly, neatly dodging the fist that came flying towards his face at the words.

Lovino swore softly when he knuckles slammed into the wall next to Antonio's head, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I meant about _la mia famiglia_ (**my family**), _bastardo_," he snapped.

"Ah… Nothing much, then."

Lovino rolled his eyes again and glanced back at the door that Antonio had locked behind them, his muscles tensing automatically.

"My parents died right after _mio fratello_ (**my brother**) was born," he began slowly. "Nonno took us in; he basically raised us by himself. I… I didn't know how he got the money to feed us and take care of us until I was older. I just never thought about it.

"It took us a few years to notice, but eventually Feli and I realized that Nonno was coming home with injured a-and beaten. He… he didn't want to worry us but I followed him one night and I- he had been fighting to get money; in the streets… you know how the crowds are, there's always someone willing to throw in a few coins for entertainment. I… I didn't tell Feli, but I tried to get Nonno to stop but he wouldn't. He said that it was the only way to take care of us, that h-he needed to pay the price for… for loving us."

A warm hand wrapped gently around Lovino's wrist, cutting off his words. The trembling Italian shot a hesitant glare at Antonio, his eyes burning when he saw the pity and concern in the Spaniard's eyes.

"Don't," he whispered. "You don't know…"

"Tell me."

Lovino bit his lip and tried to pull his hand away, his eyes narrowing when Antonio's grip merely tightened. After a moment, he sighed and continued, struggling to focus on anything other than the pirate's worried green eyes.

"One day, Nonno came home in worse shape than usual," he explained flatly. "Some bastard from Germany carried him back, said that he had taken him away before the other man c-could finish the job. He stayed with us until we were sure that Nonno was going to survive before he left. He… He promised that he would come back with his sons, that he would take care of us, but he didn't come and Feli was getting so damn hungry and Nonno was trying to get out of bed so that he could fight again, and I… I had to do something.

"I had seen the other boys for most of my childhood- hell, the fucking bastards had tried to recruit me once or twice before, so I knew where to go. The- the… _padrone_ (**boss/master**) got me a job later that night. It was short, j-just a quick- a quick f-f-fuck a-and…"

Lovino took a deep, shuddering breath and hastily pressed his free hand against his mouth, trying to keep the sobs from working their way out of his throat. Antonio moved to pull the Italian closer, only to stop when Lovino shot him a sharp, weary glare. The Spaniard frowned in response but kept his distance, his warm, gentle fingers still curled around Lovino's in a firm, comforting grip.

"I kept it up for a while," Lovino continued when he could speak again, his voice hoarse and raw from years of barely-suppressed cries. "Nonno was never the same after his last fight, and I think he might have guessed what I was doing, even though I never told him. He kept Feli from finding out… I'm grateful for that.

"My last… client was more curious than the others. He kept asking me questions, didn't really care when I finally lost my patience and started cursing him. I ran away before I could finish the job and ran home but I… I didn't know that he was following me." The Italian paused for a brief moment and chuckled humorlessly, his blood boiling with a familiar sense of anger and guilt. "Guess I should have known what he was… who else would ask for someone to send a whore to the docks?"

The Spaniard's grip tightened painfully, though Lovino couldn't tell if it was due to his choice of words or because the idiotic captain had finally understood what was happening. The Italian continued to speak, his voice barely shaking at all.

"The next morning, they attack the town," he said dully. "Our house was burned to the ground, and I managed to get Feli out but they- they shut the door before Nonno could follow us. The bastard from last night ordered them to take us away and they threw us onto the ship. One of the- the crewmen tried to… touch Feli one night but two of the other guards kept him away. _Mio fratello_ somehow managed to make friends with the fucking potato bastards that the captain had put down as our guards. About a month later, two other men joined us- two brothers named Alfred and Matthew from the western seas. The older brother was taken away almost immediately after he was brought in. The potat- _Ludwig_, or whatever the hell his name is, told us that the captain had sent Alfred to spy on some Captain Kirkluck, or something-."

"Kirkland," Antonio corrected flatly.

"I- What?"

"Captain Arthur Kirkland," the Spaniard repeated slowly, his hands still clasped firmly around Lovino's hand. "That was the pirates name, _sí?_"

"…_Si_," Lovino agreed hesitantly. He took another steadying breath and forced himself to meet Antonio's gaze, his heart pounding as he took in the cool, indifferent mask that had started to settle across the Spaniard's tanned, weathered face.

"When did he send you, then?" Antonio asked finally. "This captain of yours."

"Maybe a week after he sent Alfred," Lovino whispered. "And he's not my captain. He's- he's just the asshole that's holding _mio fratellino_ (**my little brother**) captive."

"Ah."

"He threatened to _kill him_, Antonio," Lovino hissed, alarmed by the Spaniard's silence. "R-rape him and k-k-kill him… He's my brother," he added finally, desperately. "My little brother… I had to save him."

"Was that why you ran away?" the Spaniard asked calmly. "Were you telling your captain about all of the information that you had gathered, letting him know that the _kindhearted_ Captain Carriedo had stupidly placed his trust in you?"

Lovino shook his head, his mind already conjuring images of Antonio's blade covered in blood.

"No," he murmured. "I'm not supposed to spy on you."

The Spaniard raised his eyebrow, his expression skeptical.

"I'm supposed to kill you," Lovino admitted quietly. "_Dio mi aiuti_ (**God help me**). Sadik was sent to see what was taking me so long. I ran away because… because I didn't know what to do."

"Oh?" Antonio mused, his voice shaking slightly despite the calm expression on his face. "I should think that it would be obvious. Even an idiot knows how to kill someone."

"Then I must be worse than an idiot," Lovino snapped half-heartedly. "Because I don't know how to kill you."

The Spaniard studied him silently for a long moment, his fingers slipping limply from Lovino's hand. Lovino shivered at the loss of contact, his amber eyes flickering unwillingly to the sheathed sword that rested awkwardly against Antonio's hip. Antonio followed his gaze and turned away abruptly, his eyes wide and vulnerable.

"Why?" he croaked finally. "Why can't you kill me?"

"Because… you're Antonio," he said finally. "And you still have my rosary."

A small, hesitant smile flashed across the Spaniard's weary features, only to disappear as quickly as it had formed.

"You defended me," he said finally. "From my brother."

"_Si._"

Antonio nodded slowly and pulled himself to his feet, his eyes never leaving Lovino's.

"What is the captain's name?" he asked quietly.

"Francis Bonnefoy."

The Spaniard's eyes darkened, his expression abruptly morphing into something dangerous and frightening.

"_Venga_ (**Come**)," he whispered tighty.

Lovino scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding loudly in his ears.

"W-where?" he demanded, struggling to pour some strength back into his voice.

Antonio gave him a strange look out of the corner of his eyes, his warm hand reaching out to curl protectively around Lovino's once again.

"Back to the ship," he explained quietly. "There are many things that we need to discuss."

The Spaniard led the Italian out of the brothel in silence, his footsteps pausing briefly as he fished a gleaming red tomato out of his pocket and pressed it into Lovino's free hand. Lovino stared dumbly down at the fruit, his feet slapping painfully against the cobbled streets in an effort to keep up with his captain. The fruit gleamed up at him in the dim light of the darkened streets, its skin as red as blood in the silver light of the moon.

**Muahahaha! Finally the chapter is complete! Ahem, so, I'm really sorry about how long it took me to get this up. I just graduated a few days ago, and life gets incredibly frantic around graduation for some very strange reason…. Anyways, hopefully my updating schedule will speed up now that summer is upon us /fingers crossed/.**

**On another note, I got a tumblr two days ago and its under luxionyx (So, not really different from my name on here). I'll be posting on there whenever I update here, and… yeah, feel free to ask me any questions on there about my stories or tell me anything that you would really like to see either in this story or in any other story, or just pop in to say hi and laugh at me as I try and figure out tumblr. **

**Thanks as always to all of the awesome people who have read/reviewed this story! You guys are the reason why I keep writing, and you all rock!**


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